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Published on: September 7, 2017
The nematode C. elegans senses airborne sound
Adam J Iliff1, Can Wang2, Elizabeth A Ronan1
1Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
The nematode worm, Caenorhabditis elegans, can sense airborne sound using its skin and specialized neurons, challenging the notion that only vertebrates and arthropods can hear. This discovery suggests hearing may have evolved multiple times independently.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Animal Behavior
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Hearing is traditionally considered exclusive to vertebrates and some arthropods.
- Most invertebrates are presumed insensitive to airborne sound.
- The mechanisms of sound detection in invertebrates remain largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sound-sensing capabilities in the nematode C. elegans.
- To identify the biological structures and molecular mechanisms involved in sound perception in C. elegans.
- To challenge conventional understanding of hearing evolution in the animal kingdom.
Main Methods:
- Utilized behavioral assays to observe phonotaxis in C. elegans.
- Investigated the role of mechanosensitive neurons (FLP/PVD) in sound transduction.
- Performed molecular analysis to identify sound-transducing receptors, specifically nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs).
Main Results:
- C. elegans detects airborne sound up to the kHz range.
- The nematode's skin acts as a pressure-to-displacement transducer.
- Specific nAChRs were identified as crucial for transducing sound signals, functioning independently of acetylcholine.
- Sound detection leads to observable phonotaxis behavior.
Conclusions:
- The ability to sense airborne sound is not limited to vertebrates and arthropods.
- C. elegans possesses a functional auditory system despite lacking ears.
- Mechanosensation via nAChRs represents an unexpected pathway for sound detection.
- Convergent evolution of hearing may have occurred multiple times across different animal phyla.
