Molecular mechanism of neural functions underlying sensory behaviors in the nematode C.elegans

2009 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17024023
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Priority Areas
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Review Section: Biological Sciences
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: MORI Ikue Nagoya University, 大学院・理学研究科, 教授 (90219999)
• Project Period (FY): 2005 – 2009
• Keywords: 感覚神経細胞 / 温度受容 / 温度走性 / Cエレガンス / 神経回路

Research Abstract

Animals modify their behaviors upon reception of various environmental stimuli. It however remains largely unknown how, at the molecular level, the stimuli are processed and integrated in the nervous system, thereby generating the behavioral outputs. To address molecular mechanism on sensory reception and neural plasticity, we utilized thermotaxis behavior, a temperature memory and feeding state-regulated behavior, in the small nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. C.elegans is an ideal system to elucidate molecular basis of behavioral plasticity because of its complete knowledge of neural wiring and powerful accessibility to genetic and molecular analyses. We showed here that 1) temperature is not only sensed but also remembered by AFD and AWC sensory neurons, 2) starvation signal inhibits thermotaxis interneurons that are downstream of AFD and AWC through insulin-like peptide, and 3) association between temperature and feeding state requires functional changes in thermotaxis interneurons. We also found that Lithium, a drug for patients with bipolar disorder, affects synaptic localization in RIA interneuron, which is essential for proper thermotaxis behavior.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] elegans phototransduction requires a G protein-mediated cGMP pathway and a taste receptor homolog (2010)
  • Author(s): Liu J, Ward A, Gao J, Dong Y, Nishio N, Inada H, Kang L, Yu Y, Ma D, Xu T, Mori I, Xie Z, Xu S, C
  • Journal Title: Nature Neuroscience (in press)
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Distinct thermal migration behaviors in response to different thermal gradients in Caenorhabditis elegans (2010)
  • Author(s): Jurado, P., Kodama, E., Tanizawa, Y., Mori, I
  • Journal Title: Genes, Brain and Behavior 9 Pages: 120-127
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Temperature sensing by an olfactory neuron in a circuit controlling behavior of C. elegans (2008)
  • Author(s): Kuhara, A. *, Okumura, M. *, Kimata, T., Tanizawa, Y., Takano, R., Kimura, K. D., Inada, H., Matsumoto, K., Mori I
  • Journal Title: Science 320 Pages: 803-807
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] 温度学習行動の分子神経回路メカニズム,蛋白質核酸酵素増刊号神経の分化, 回路形成 (2008)
  • Author(s): 久原篤, 笹倉寛之, 木全翼, 森郁恵
  • Journal Title: 機能発現 53 Pages: 580-586
• [Journal Article] Worm thermotaxis: a model system for analyzing thermosensation and neural plasticity (2007)
  • Author(s): Mori, I., Sasakura, H., Kuhara, A
  • Journal Title: Current Opinion in Neurobiology 17 Pages: 712-719
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Molecular physiology of the neural circuit for calcineurin-dependent associative learning in Caenorhabditis elegans (2006)
  • Author(s): Kuhara, A., Mori, I
  • Journal Title: J Neurosci 154 Pages: 9355-9364
• [Journal Article] Insulin-like signaling and the neural circuit for integrative behavior in C. elegans (2006)
  • Author(s): Kodama, E., Kuhara, A., Mohri-Shiomi, A., Kimura, K.D., Okumura, M., Tomioka, M., Iino, Y., Mori, I
  • Journal Title: Genes Dev 20 Pages: 2955-2960
• [Journal Article] Inositol Monophosphatase regulates localization of synaptic components and behavior in the mature nervous system of C. elegans (2006)
  • Author(s): Tanizawa, Y., Kuhara, A., Inada, H., Kodama, E., Mizuno, T., Mori, I
  • Journal Title: Genes Dev 20 Pages: 3296-3310
• [Journal Article] Identification of guanylyl cyclases that function in thermosensory neurons of Caenorhabditis elegans (2006)
  • Author(s): Inada, H., Ito, H., Satterlee, J. Sengupta, P., Matsumoto, K., Mori, I
  • Journal Title: Genetics 172 Pages: 2239-2252
• [Journal Article] Quantitative analysis of thermotaxis in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (2006)
  • Author(s): Ito, H., Inada, H., Mori, I
  • Journal Title: J. Neurosci. Meth 154 Pages: 45-52
• [Presentation] Neural coding of temperature memory-regulated behavior in C. elegans (2009)
  • Author(s): Ikue Mori
  • Organizer: グローバルCOEプログラム「システム生命科学の展開:生命機能の設計」国際シンポジウム"Frontiers of Genes, Neural Circuits and Behavior"
  • Place of Presentation: 名古屋大学(名古屋)
  • Year and Date: 20091118-20091119
• [Presentation] Neural coding of behaviors in C. elegans (2009)
  • Author(s): Ikue Mori
  • Organizer: ISDB2009, 2009. 9. 6-10, Edinburgh International Conference Centre
  • Place of Presentation: Edinburgh, UK
  • Year and Date: 20090906-20090910
• [Presentation] Components orchestrating the neural circuit for behavior (2009)
  • Author(s): Mori, I
  • Organizer: Janelia Farm Research Conference on Neural Circuit and Behavior in C. elegans II: Towards the Ultimate Model
  • Place of Presentation: Virginia, USA
  • Year and Date: 20090308-20090311
• [Presentation] Neural circuits regulating C. elegans memory-based behavior (2009)
  • Author(s): Ikue Mori
  • Organizer: 第4回MCCS-Asiaシンポジウム
  • Place of Presentation: 名古屋国際会議場(名古屋)
  • Year and Date: 2009-09-15
• [Presentation] Calcineurin is required for behavioral plasticity in C. elegans (2008)
  • Author(s): Mori, I
  • Organizer: FASEB Summer Research Conference "Calcium and Cell Function"
  • Place of Presentation: Colorado, USA
  • Year and Date: 20080706-20080711
• [Presentation] Comprehensive analysis of neural circuit controlling behavior in C. elegans (2008)
  • Author(s): Mori, I
  • Organizer: Gordon Research Conference "Molecular & Cellular Neurobiology"
  • Place of Presentation: Hong Kong, China
  • Year and Date: 20080608-20080613
• [Presentation] Comprehensive Studies on a Neural Circuit for Worm Thermotaxis (2008)
  • Author(s): Mori, I
  • Organizer: CDB Symposium: Turning Neurons into a Nervous System
  • Place of Presentation: Kobe, Japan
  • Year and Date: 20080324-20080326
• [Book] 蛋白質核酸酵素増刊号神経の分化, 回路形成, 機能発現53(4), 温度学習行動の分子神経回路メカニズム (2008)
  • Author(s): 久原篤、笹倉寛之、木全翼、森郁恵
  • Total Pages: 580-586