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C. elegans Tracking and Behavioral Measurement
Published on: November 17, 2012
Bidirectional temperature-sensing by a single thermosensory neuron in C. elegans
Daniel Ramot1, Bronwyn L MacInnis, Miriam B Goodman
1Program in Neuroscience, Stanford University, 279 Campus Dr., Stanford, California 94305, USA.
Nature Neuroscience
|July 29, 2008
Summary
Scientists discovered how C. elegans worms sense temperature using cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). This pathway involves specific ion channels and guanylate cyclases, revealing a conserved mechanism potentially linking worm thermosensation to vertebrate vision.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Molecular Biology
- Sensory Biology
Background:
- Animals possess remarkable temperature sensitivity, detecting changes as small as 0.1°C.
- The precise mechanisms underlying this exquisite thermosensation in animals remain largely unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the molecular mechanisms of thermosensation in the nematode C. elegans.
- To identify the specific genes and pathways involved in temperature detection.
Main Methods:
- In vivo recordings from C. elegans thermosensory neurons (AFD).
- Analysis of mutant strains with deletions in genes encoding ion channels (tax-4, tax-2) and guanylate cyclases (gcy-8, gcy-18, gcy-23).
Main Results:
- Thermosensory neurons AFD show temperature-dependent ion channel activity: closing upon cooling and opening upon warming.
- Mutations in cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)-gated ion channel subunits (tax-4, tax-2) and guanylate cyclases (gcy-8, gcy-18, gcy-23) abolished temperature-activated currents.
- A cGMP-mediated pathway was identified, linking temperature variations to changes in ionic currents.
Conclusions:
- C. elegans thermosensation relies on a cGMP-mediated pathway involving specific ion channels and guanylate cyclases.
- The observed mechanism exhibits nonlinear signal amplification, contributing to high thermosensitivity.
- The study suggests a potential evolutionary link between nematode thermosensation and vertebrate vision due to conserved molecular components (TAX-4, TAX-2).
