The mechanoreceptor pezo-1 is required for normal crawling locomotion in the nematode C. elegans

The discovery in 2010 of the PIEZO family of mechanoreceptors revolutionized our understanding of the role of proprioceptive feedback in mammalian physiology. Much remains to be elucidated. This study looks at the role this receptor plays in normal locomotion. Like humans, the nematode C. elegans expresses PIEZO-type channels (encoded by the pezo-1 gene) throughout its somatic musculature. Here we use the unbiased automated behavioral software Tierpsy to characterize the effects that mutations removing PEZO-1 from body wall musculature have on C. elegans crawling. We find that loss of PEZO-1 results in disrupted locomotion and posture, consistent with phenotypes associated with loss of PIEZO2 in human musculature. C. elegans is thus an amenable system to study the role of mechanoreception on muscle physiology and function.