The AWC ^OFF neuron is important for attraction to 1-butanol in Caenorhabditis elegans

C. elegans uses chemosensation to recognize a variety of odors, many of which are released by bacteria, the major food source of C. elegans . Specific amphid sensory neurons are known to detect different odorants. Here we show that the AWC ^OFF neuron detects the attractive odorant 1-butanol. Because few odorants that are specifically recognized by the AWC ^OFF neuron have been identified, we hope that the identification of this additional odorant will facilitate studies of the role of the AWC ^OFF neuron in odor detection and discrimination.