Sojka SE, Ezak MJ, Polk EA, Bischer AP, Neyland KE, Wojtovich AP, Ferkey DM. An Extensive Gap Junction Neural Network Modulates
Caenorhabditis elegans Aversive Behavior.
Genes (Basel) 2025;
16:260. [PMID:
40149412 PMCID:
PMC11941935 DOI:
10.3390/genes16030260]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2025] [Revised: 02/17/2025] [Accepted: 02/18/2025] [Indexed: 03/29/2025] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES
Caenorhabditis elegans rely on sensory perception of environmental cues for survival in their native soil and compost habitats. These cues provide information about nutrient availability, mating partners, or predatory and hazardous beacons. In C. elegans, the two bilaterally-symmetric head sensory neurons termed ASH are the main detectors of aversive nociceptive signals. Through their downstream connections in the nervous system, ASH activation causes the animal to initiate backward locomotion to escape and avoid the harmful stimulus. Modulation of avoidance behavior allows for situation-appropriate sensitivity and response to stimuli. We previously reported a role for gap junctions in the transport of regulatory cGMP to the ASHs where it functions to dampen avoidance responses.
METHODS
Here, we used genetic mutants and a combination of cell-selective rescue and knockdown experiments to identify gap junction proteins (innexins) involved in modulating ASH-mediated nociceptive behavioral responses.
RESULTS
We have characterized six additional C. elegans innexins that have overlapping and distinct roles within this regulatory network: INX-7, INX-15, INX-16, INX-17, UNC-7, and UNC-9.
CONCLUSIONS
This work expands our understanding of the extent to which ASH sensitivity can be tuned in a non-cell-autonomous manner.
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