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A Single-fly Assay for Foraging Behavior in Drosophila
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Environmental Programming of Adult Foraging Behavior in C. elegans
Sreeparna Pradhan1, Sabrina Quilez1, Kai Homer2
1Department of Biology, McGill University, Doctor Penfield Avenue, Montreal, QC H3A 1B1, Canada; Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, University Street, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada.
Current Biology : CB
|August 20, 2019
Summary
Early-life starvation permanently alters foraging behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans, inducing cautious exploration. This adaptive developmental plasticity is linked to genetic factors and changes in neural circuits.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Ecology
- Genetics
Background:
- Foraging strategies are crucial for survival and can be influenced by genetics and experience.
- Caenorhabditis elegans display both genetic and experience-dependent variations in foraging behavior.
- Previous research focused on short-term behavioral adjustments based on recent experience.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if early-life developmental experience, specifically starvation, can induce permanent changes in C. elegans foraging behavior.
- To identify the underlying neural mechanisms and genetic factors associated with this developmental plasticity.
- To determine if innate foraging traits and their plasticity are genetically separable.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Caenorhabditis elegans wild strains to study foraging behavior.
- Inducted early-life starvation during development.
- Analyzed behavioral changes in foraging strategies, including exploration levels.
- Investigated alterations in locomotory circuit dynamics.
- Examined the role of the neuroglobin gene (glb-5) in mediating foraging plasticity.
Main Results:
- Early-life starvation resulted in "cautious" foraging strategies, characterized by reduced exploration, in most wild C. elegans strains.
- These behavioral modifications were associated with altered dynamics in the locomotory neural circuit.
- The neuroglobin gene (glb-5), specifically its derived or ancestral allele, was found to determine foraging plasticity.
- Demonstrated that innate foraging traits and plasticity are genetically separable.
Conclusions:
- Caenorhabditis elegans exhibit adaptive developmental plasticity, where early-life starvation permanently shapes foraging behavior.
- This plasticity involves modifications in neural circuits controlling navigation and locomotion.
- Genetic factors, including the glb-5 gene, play a significant role in both innate foraging and its adaptive plasticity.
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