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Xia S, Lu AC, Tobin V, Luo K, Moeller L, Shon DJ, Du R, Linton JM, Sui M, Horns F, Elowitz MB. Synthetic protein circuits for programmable control of mammalian cell death. Cell 2024; 187:2785-2800.e16. [PMID: 38657604 PMCID: PMC11127782 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.03.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Natural cell death pathways such as apoptosis and pyroptosis play dual roles: they eliminate harmful cells and modulate the immune system by dampening or stimulating inflammation. Synthetic protein circuits capable of triggering specific death programs in target cells could similarly remove harmful cells while appropriately modulating immune responses. However, cells actively influence their death modes in response to natural signals, making it challenging to control death modes. Here, we introduce naturally inspired "synpoptosis" circuits that proteolytically regulate engineered executioner proteins and mammalian cell death. These circuits direct cell death modes, respond to combinations of protease inputs, and selectively eliminate target cells. Furthermore, synpoptosis circuits can be transmitted intercellularly, offering a foundation for engineering synthetic killer cells that induce desired death programs in target cells without self-destruction. Together, these results lay the groundwork for programmable control of mammalian cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyu Xia
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Andrew C Lu
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; UCLA-Caltech Medical Scientist Training Program, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Victoria Tobin
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; UC Davis-Caltech Veterinary Scientist Training Program, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Kaiwen Luo
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Lukas Moeller
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - D Judy Shon
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Rongrong Du
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - James M Linton
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Margaret Sui
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Felix Horns
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Michael B Elowitz
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
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2
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Nakayama A, Watanabe M, Yamashiro R, Kuroyanagi H, Matsuyama HJ, Oshima A, Mori I, Nakano S. A hyperpolarizing neuron recruits undocked innexin hemichannels to transmit neural information in Caenorhabditis elegans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2406565121. [PMID: 38753507 PMCID: PMC11127054 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2406565121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
While depolarization of the neuronal membrane is known to evoke the neurotransmitter release from synaptic vesicles, hyperpolarization is regarded as a resting state of chemical neurotransmission. Here, we report that hyperpolarizing neurons can actively signal neural information by employing undocked hemichannels. We show that UNC-7, a member of the innexin family in Caenorhabditis elegans, functions as a hemichannel in thermosensory neurons and transmits temperature information from the thermosensory neurons to their postsynaptic interneurons. By monitoring neural activities in freely behaving animals, we find that hyperpolarizing thermosensory neurons inhibit the activity of the interneurons and that UNC-7 hemichannels regulate this process. UNC-7 is required to control thermotaxis behavior and functions independently of synaptic vesicle exocytosis. Our findings suggest that innexin hemichannels mediate neurotransmission from hyperpolarizing neurons in a manner that is distinct from the synaptic transmission, expanding the way of neural circuitry operations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Airi Nakayama
- Department of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi464-8602, Japan
| | - Masakatsu Watanabe
- Laboratory of Pattern Formation, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka565-0871, Japan
| | - Riku Yamashiro
- Department of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi464-8602, Japan
| | - Hiroo Kuroyanagi
- Department of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi464-8602, Japan
| | - Hironori J. Matsuyama
- Group of Molecular Neurobiology, Neuroscience Institute, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi464-8602, Japan
| | - Atsunori Oshima
- Department of Basic Biology, Cellular and Structural Physiology Institute, Nagoya University, Chikusa, Nagoya464-8601, Japan
- Department of Basic Medicinal Sciences, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi464-8601, Japan
- Molecular Physiology Division, Institute for Glyco-core Research, Nagoya University, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya464-8601, Japan
- Division of Innovative Modality Development, Center for One Medicine Innovative Translational Research, Gifu University Institute for Advanced Study, Gifu501-11193, Japan
| | - Ikue Mori
- Group of Molecular Neurobiology, Neuroscience Institute, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi464-8602, Japan
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Changping District, Beijing102206, China
| | - Shunji Nakano
- Department of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi464-8602, Japan
- Group of Molecular Neurobiology, Neuroscience Institute, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi464-8602, Japan
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3
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Salim C, Batsaikhan E, Kan AK, Chen H, Jee C. Nicotine Motivated Behavior in C. elegans. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1634. [PMID: 38338915 PMCID: PMC10855306 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
To maximize the advantages offered by Caenorhabditis elegans as a high-throughput (HTP) model for nicotine dependence studies, utilizing its well-defined neuroconnectome as a robust platform, and to unravel the genetic basis of nicotine-motivated behaviors, we established the nicotine conditioned cue preference (CCP) paradigm. Nicotine CCP enables the assessment of nicotine preference and seeking, revealing a parallel to fundamental aspects of nicotine-dependent behaviors observed in mammals. We demonstrated that nicotine-elicited cue preference in worms is mediated by nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and requires dopamine for CCP development. Subsequently, we pinpointed nAChR subunits associated with nicotine preference and validated human GWAS candidates linked to nicotine dependence involved in nAChRs. Functional validation involves assessing the loss-of-function strain of the CACNA2D3 ortholog and the knock-out (KO) strain of the CACNA2D2 ortholog, closely related to CACNA2D3 and sharing human smoking phenotypes. Our orthogonal approach substantiates the functional conservation of the α2δ subunit of the calcium channel in nicotine-motivated behavior. Nicotine CCP in C. elegans serves as a potent affirmation of the cross-species functional relevance of GWAS candidate genes involved in nicotine seeking associated with tobacco abuse, providing a streamlined yet comprehensive system for investigating intricate behavioral paradigms within a simplified and reliable framework.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Changhoon Jee
- Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science and Toxicology, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA; (C.S.)
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4
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Atanas AA, Kim J, Wang Z, Bueno E, Becker M, Kang D, Park J, Kramer TS, Wan FK, Baskoylu S, Dag U, Kalogeropoulou E, Gomes MA, Estrem C, Cohen N, Mansinghka VK, Flavell SW. Brain-wide representations of behavior spanning multiple timescales and states in C. elegans. Cell 2023; 186:4134-4151.e31. [PMID: 37607537 PMCID: PMC10836760 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.07.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Changes in an animal's behavior and internal state are accompanied by widespread changes in activity across its brain. However, how neurons across the brain encode behavior and how this is impacted by state is poorly understood. We recorded brain-wide activity and the diverse motor programs of freely moving C. elegans and built probabilistic models that explain how each neuron encodes quantitative behavioral features. By determining the identities of the recorded neurons, we created an atlas of how the defined neuron classes in the C. elegans connectome encode behavior. Many neuron classes have conjunctive representations of multiple behaviors. Moreover, although many neurons encode current motor actions, others integrate recent actions. Changes in behavioral state are accompanied by widespread changes in how neurons encode behavior, and we identify these flexible nodes in the connectome. Our results provide a global map of how the cell types across an animal's brain encode its behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam A Atanas
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Computational and Systems Biology Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jungsoo Kim
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ziyu Wang
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Eric Bueno
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - McCoy Becker
- Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Di Kang
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jungyeon Park
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Talya S Kramer
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; MIT Biology Graduate Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Flossie K Wan
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Saba Baskoylu
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ugur Dag
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Elpiniki Kalogeropoulou
- School of Computing, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK; School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Matthew A Gomes
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Cassi Estrem
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Netta Cohen
- School of Computing, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Vikash K Mansinghka
- Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Steven W Flavell
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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5
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Venkatesh SR, Gupta A, Singh V. Amphid sensory neurons of Caenorhabditis elegans orchestrate its survival from infection with broad classes of pathogens. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:e202301949. [PMID: 37258276 PMCID: PMC10233725 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202301949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The survival of a host during infection relies on its ability to rapidly sense the invading pathogen and mount an appropriate response. The bacterivorous nematode Caenorhabditis elegans lacks most of the traditional pattern recognition mechanisms. In this study, we hypothesized that the 12 pairs of amphid sensory neurons in the heads of worms provide sensing capability and thus affect survival during infection. We tested animals lacking amphid neurons to three major classes of pathogens, namely-a Gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a Gram-positive bacterium Enterococcus faecalis, and a pathogenic yeast Cryptococcus neoformans By using individual neuronal ablation lines or mutants lacking specific neurons, we demonstrate that some neurons broadly suppress the survival of the host and colonization of all pathogens, whereas other amphid neurons differentially regulate host survival during infection. We also show that the roles of some of these neurons are pathogen-specific, as seen with the AWB odor sensory neurons that promote survival only during infections with P aeruginosa Overall, our study reveals broad and specific roles for amphid neurons during infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddharth R Venkatesh
- Department of Developmental Biology & Genetics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, INDIA
| | - Anjali Gupta
- Center for Biosystems, Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, INDIA
| | - Varsha Singh
- Department of Developmental Biology & Genetics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, INDIA
- Center for Biosystems, Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, INDIA
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6
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Baker M, Kang S, Hong SI, Song M, Yang MA, Peyton L, Essa H, Lee SW, Choi DS. External globus pallidus input to the dorsal striatum regulates habitual seeking behavior in male mice. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4085. [PMID: 37438336 PMCID: PMC10338526 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39545-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The external globus pallidus (GPe) coordinates action-selection through GABAergic projections throughout the basal ganglia. GPe arkypallidal (arky) neurons project exclusively to the dorsal striatum, which regulates goal-directed and habitual seeking. However, the role of GPe arky neurons in reward-seeking remains unknown. Here, we identified that a majority of arky neurons target the dorsolateral striatum (DLS). Using fiber photometry, we found that arky activities were higher during random interval (RI; habit) compared to random ratio (RR; goal) operant conditioning. Support vector machine analysis demonstrated that arky neuron activities have sufficient information to distinguish between RR and RI behavior. Genetic ablation of this arkyGPe→DLS circuit facilitated a shift from goal-directed to habitual behavior. Conversely, chemogenetic activation globally reduced seeking behaviors, which was blocked by systemic D1R agonism. Our findings reveal a role of this arkyGPe→DLS circuit in constraining habitual seeking in male mice, which is relevant to addictive behaviors and other compulsive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Baker
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Seungwoo Kang
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
| | - Sa-Ik Hong
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Minryung Song
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Minsu Abel Yang
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Lee Peyton
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Hesham Essa
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Sang Wan Lee
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Doo-Sup Choi
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
- Neuroscience Program, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
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7
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Chandra R, Farah F, Muñoz-Lobato F, Bokka A, Benedetti KL, Brueggemann C, Saifuddin MFA, Miller JM, Li J, Chang E, Varshney A, Jimenez V, Baradwaj A, Nassif C, Alladin S, Andersen K, Garcia AJ, Bi V, Nordquist SK, Dunn RL, Garcia V, Tokalenko K, Soohoo E, Briseno F, Kaur S, Harris M, Guillen H, Byrd D, Fung B, Bykov AE, Odisho E, Tsujimoto B, Tran A, Duong A, Daigle KC, Paisner R, Zuazo CE, Lin C, Asundi A, Churgin MA, Fang-Yen C, Bremer M, Kato S, VanHoven MK, L'Étoile ND. Sleep is required to consolidate odor memory and remodel olfactory synapses. Cell 2023; 186:2911-2928.e20. [PMID: 37269832 PMCID: PMC10354834 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Animals with complex nervous systems demand sleep for memory consolidation and synaptic remodeling. Here, we show that, although the Caenorhabditis elegans nervous system has a limited number of neurons, sleep is necessary for both processes. In addition, it is unclear if, in any system, sleep collaborates with experience to alter synapses between specific neurons and whether this ultimately affects behavior. C. elegans neurons have defined connections and well-described contributions to behavior. We show that spaced odor-training and post-training sleep induce long-term memory. Memory consolidation, but not acquisition, requires a pair of interneurons, the AIYs, which play a role in odor-seeking behavior. In worms that consolidate memory, both sleep and odor conditioning are required to diminish inhibitory synaptic connections between the AWC chemosensory neurons and the AIYs. Thus, we demonstrate in a living organism that sleep is required for events immediately after training that drive memory consolidation and alter synaptic structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rashmi Chandra
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Fatima Farah
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Fernando Muñoz-Lobato
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Anirudh Bokka
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Kelli L Benedetti
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Chantal Brueggemann
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Mashel Fatema A Saifuddin
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Julia M Miller
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Joy Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Eric Chang
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Aruna Varshney
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Vanessa Jimenez
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Anjana Baradwaj
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Cibelle Nassif
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Sara Alladin
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Kristine Andersen
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Angel J Garcia
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Veronica Bi
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Sarah K Nordquist
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Raymond L Dunn
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Vanessa Garcia
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Kateryna Tokalenko
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Emily Soohoo
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Fabiola Briseno
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Sukhdeep Kaur
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Malcolm Harris
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Hazel Guillen
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Decklin Byrd
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Brandon Fung
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Andrew E Bykov
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Emma Odisho
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Bryan Tsujimoto
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Alan Tran
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Alex Duong
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Kevin C Daigle
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Rebekka Paisner
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Carlos E Zuazo
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Christine Lin
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Aarati Asundi
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Matthew A Churgin
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Christopher Fang-Yen
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Martina Bremer
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Saul Kato
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Miri K VanHoven
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA.
| | - Noëlle D L'Étoile
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
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8
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Joglekar I, Clark AC. Sequential Unfolding Mechanisms of Monomeric Caspases. Biochemistry 2023; 62:1878-1889. [PMID: 37337671 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.3c00004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Caspases are evolutionarily conserved cysteinyl proteases that are integral in cell development and apoptosis. All apoptotic caspases evolved from a common ancestor into two distinct subfamilies with either monomeric (initiators) or dimeric (effectors) oligomeric states. The regulation of apoptosis is influenced by the activation mechanism of the two subfamilies, but the evolution of the well-conserved caspase-hemoglobinase fold into the two subfamilies is not well understood. We examined the folding landscape of monomeric caspases from two coral species over a broad pH range of 3-10.5. On an evolutionary timescale, the two coral caspases diverged from each other approximately 300 million years ago, and they diverged from human caspases about 600 million years ago. Our results indicate that both proteins have overall high stability, ∼15 kcal mol-1, near the physiological pH range (pH 6-8) and unfold via two partially folded intermediates, I1 and I2*, that are in equilibrium with the native and the unfolded state. Like the dimeric caspases, the monomeric coral caspases undergo a pH-dependent conformational change resulting from the titration of an evolutionarily conserved site. Data from molecular dynamics simulations paired with limited proteolysis and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry show that the small subunit of the monomeric caspases is unstable and unfolds prior to the large subunit. Overall, the data suggest that all caspases share a conserved folding landscape, that a conserved allosteric site can be fine-tuned for species-specific regulation, and that the subfamily of stable dimers may have evolved to stabilize the small subunit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isha Joglekar
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019, United States
| | - A Clay Clark
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019, United States
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9
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Chaubey AH, Sojka SE, Onukwufor JO, Ezak MJ, Vandermeulen MD, Bowitch A, Vodičková A, Wojtovich AP, Ferkey DM. The Caenorhabditis elegans innexin INX-20 regulates nociceptive behavioral sensitivity. Genetics 2023; 223:iyad017. [PMID: 36753530 PMCID: PMC10319955 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyad017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2022] [Revised: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Organisms rely on chemical cues in their environment to indicate the presence or absence of food, reproductive partners, predators, or other harmful stimuli. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the bilaterally symmetric pair of ASH sensory neurons serves as the primary nociceptors. ASH activation by aversive stimuli leads to backward locomotion and stimulus avoidance. We previously reported a role for guanylyl cyclases in dampening nociceptive sensitivity that requires an innexin-based gap junction network to pass cGMP between neurons. Here, we report that animals lacking function of the gap junction component INX-20 are hypersensitive in their behavioral response to both soluble and volatile chemical stimuli that signal through G protein-coupled receptor pathways in ASH. We find that expressing inx-20 in the ADL and AFD sensory neurons is sufficient to dampen ASH sensitivity, which is supported by new expression analysis of endogenous INX-20 tagged with mCherry via the CRISPR-Cas9 system. Although ADL does not form gap junctions directly with ASH, it does so via gap junctions with the interneuron RMG and the sensory neuron ASK. Ablating either ADL or RMG and ASK also resulted in nociceptive hypersensitivity, suggesting an important role for RMG/ASK downstream of ADL in the ASH modulatory circuit. This work adds to our growing understanding of the repertoire of ways by which ASH activity is regulated via its connectivity to other neurons and identifies a previously unknown role for ADL and RMG in the modulation of aversive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditi H Chaubey
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| | - Savannah E Sojka
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| | - John O Onukwufor
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Meredith J Ezak
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| | - Matthew D Vandermeulen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| | - Alexander Bowitch
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| | - Anežka Vodičková
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Andrew P Wojtovich
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Denise M Ferkey
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
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10
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Migliori ML, Goya ME, Lamberti ML, Silva F, Rota R, Bénard C, Golombek DA. Caenorhabditis elegans as a Promising Model Organism in Chronobiology. J Biol Rhythms 2023; 38:131-147. [PMID: 36680418 DOI: 10.1177/07487304221143483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Circadian rhythms represent an adaptive feature, ubiquitously found in nature, which grants living beings the ability to anticipate daily variations in their environment. They have been found in a multitude of organisms, ranging from bacteria to fungi, plants, and animals. Circadian rhythms are generated by endogenous clocks that can be entrained daily by environmental cycles such as light and temperature. The molecular machinery of circadian clocks includes a transcriptional-translational feedback loop that takes approximately 24 h to complete. Drosophila melanogaster has been a model organism of choice to understand the molecular basis of circadian clocks. However, alternative animal models are also being adopted, each offering their respective experimental advantages. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans provides an excellent model for genetics and neuro-behavioral studies, which thanks to its ease of use and manipulation, as well as availability of genetic data and mutant strains, is currently used as a novel model for circadian research. Here, we aim to evaluate C. elegans as a model for chronobiological studies, focusing on its strengths and weaknesses while reviewing the available literature. Possible zeitgebers (including light and temperature) are also discussed. Determining the molecular bases and the neural circuitry involved in the central pacemaker of the C. elegans' clock will contribute to the understanding of its circadian system, becoming a novel model organism for the study of diseases due to alterations of the circadian cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Laura Migliori
- Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Bernal, Argentina
| | - María Eugenia Goya
- European Institute for the Biology of Aging, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Francisco Silva
- Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Bernal, Argentina
| | - Rosana Rota
- Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Bernal, Argentina
| | - Claire Bénard
- Department of Biological Sciences, CERMO-FC Research Center, Universite du Québec à Montréal, Montreál, QC, Canada
| | - Diego Andrés Golombek
- Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Bernal, Argentina
- Universidad de San Andrés, Victoria, Argentina
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11
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Kano A, Matsuyama HJ, Nakano S, Mori I. AWC thermosensory neuron interferes with information processing in a compact circuit regulating temperature-evoked posture dynamics in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Neurosci Res 2023; 188:10-27. [PMID: 36336147 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2022.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Elucidating how individual neurons encode and integrate sensory information to generate a behavior is crucial for understanding neural logic underlying sensory-dependent behavior. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, information flow from sensory input to behavioral output is traceable at single-cell level due to its entirely solved neural connectivity. C. elegans processes the temperature information for regulating behavior consisting of undulatory posture dynamics in a circuit including two thermosensory neurons AFD and AWC, and their postsynaptic interneuron AIY. However, how the information processing in AFD-AWC-AIY circuit generates the posture dynamics remains elusive. To quantitatively evaluate the posture dynamics, we introduce locomotion entropy, which measures bandwidth of the frequency spectrum of the undulatory posture dynamics, and assess how the motor pattern fluctuates. We here found that AWC disorders the information processing in AFD-AWC-AIY circuit for regulating temperature-evoked posture dynamics. Under slow temperature ramp-up, AWC adjusts AFD response, whereby broadening the temperature range in which animals exhibit fluctuating posture undulation. Under rapid temperature ramp-up, AWC increases inter-individual variability in AIY activity and the fluctuating posture undulation. We propose that a compact nervous system recruits a sensory neuron as a fluctuation inducer for regulating sensory-dependent behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amane Kano
- Group of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan
| | - Hironori J Matsuyama
- Neuroscience Institute, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan
| | - Shunji Nakano
- Neuroscience Institute, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan
| | - Ikue Mori
- Group of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan; Neuroscience Institute, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan.
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12
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Joglekar I, Clark AC. Sequential unfolding mechanisms of monomeric caspases. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.04.522771. [PMID: 36711547 PMCID: PMC9881926 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.04.522771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Caspases are evolutionarily conserved cysteinyl proteases that are integral in cell development and apoptosis. All apoptotic caspases evolved from a common ancestor into two distinct subfamilies with either monomeric (initiators) or dimeric (effectors) oligomeric states. The regulation of apoptosis is influenced by the activation mechanism of the two subfamilies, but the evolution of the well-conserved caspase-hemoglobinase fold into the two subfamilies is not well understood. We examined the folding landscape of monomeric caspases from two coral species over a broad pH range of 3 to 10.5. On an evolutionary timescale, the two coral caspases diverged from each other approximately 300 million years ago, and they diverged from human caspases about 600 million years ago. Our results indicate that both proteins have overall high stability, ∼ 15 kcal mol -1 near the physiological pH range (pH 6 to pH 8), and unfold via two partially folded intermediates, I 1 and I 2 , that are in equilibrium with the native and the unfolded state. Like the dimeric caspases, the monomeric coral caspases undergo a pH-dependent conformational change resulting from the titration of an evolutionarily conserved site. Data from molecular dynamics simulations paired with limited proteolysis and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry show that the small subunit of the monomeric caspases is unstable and unfolds prior to the large subunit. Overall, the data suggest that all caspases share a conserved folding landscape, that a conserved allosteric site can be fine-tuned for species-specific regulation, and that the subfamily of stable dimers may have evolved to stabilize the small subunit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isha Joglekar
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, 76019
| | - A. Clay Clark
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, 76019,Corresponding author: A. Clay Clark,
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13
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Thapliyal S, Glauser DA. Neurogenetic Analysis in Caenorhabditis elegans. Neurogenetics 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-07793-7_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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14
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Servello FA, Fernandes R, Eder M, Harris N, Martin OMF, Oswal N, Lindberg A, Derosiers N, Sengupta P, Stroustrup N, Apfeld J. Neuronal temperature perception induces specific defenses that enable C. elegans to cope with the enhanced reactivity of hydrogen peroxide at high temperature. eLife 2022; 11:e78941. [PMID: 36226814 PMCID: PMC9635881 DOI: 10.7554/elife.78941] [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: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Hydrogen peroxide is the most common reactive chemical that organisms face on the microbial battlefield. The rate with which hydrogen peroxide damages biomolecules required for life increases with temperature, yet little is known about how organisms cope with this temperature-dependent threat. Here, we show that Caenorhabditis elegans nematodes use temperature information perceived by sensory neurons to cope with the temperature-dependent threat of hydrogen peroxide produced by the pathogenic bacterium Enterococcus faecium. These nematodes preemptively induce the expression of specific hydrogen peroxide defenses in response to perception of high temperature by a pair of sensory neurons. These neurons communicate temperature information to target tissues expressing those defenses via an insulin/IGF1 hormone. This is the first example of a multicellular organism inducing their defenses to a chemical when they sense an inherent enhancer of the reactivity of that chemical.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rute Fernandes
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and TechnologyBarcelonaSpain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)BarcelonaSpain
| | - Matthias Eder
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and TechnologyBarcelonaSpain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)BarcelonaSpain
| | - Nathan Harris
- Department of Biology, Brandeis UniversityWalthamUnited States
| | - Olivier MF Martin
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and TechnologyBarcelonaSpain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)BarcelonaSpain
| | - Natasha Oswal
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and TechnologyBarcelonaSpain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)BarcelonaSpain
| | - Anders Lindberg
- Biology Department, Northeastern UniversityBostonUnited States
| | | | - Piali Sengupta
- Department of Biology, Brandeis UniversityWalthamUnited States
| | - Nicholas Stroustrup
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and TechnologyBarcelonaSpain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)BarcelonaSpain
| | - Javier Apfeld
- Biology Department, Northeastern UniversityBostonUnited States
- Bioengineering Department, Northeastern UniversityBostonUnited States
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15
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Yu YV, Xue W, Chen Y. Multisensory Integration in Caenorhabditis elegans in Comparison to Mammals. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12101368. [PMID: 36291302 PMCID: PMC9599712 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12101368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Multisensory integration refers to sensory inputs from different sensory modalities being processed simultaneously to produce a unitary output. Surrounded by stimuli from multiple modalities, animals utilize multisensory integration to form a coherent and robust representation of the complex environment. Even though multisensory integration is fundamentally essential for animal life, our understanding of the underlying mechanisms, especially at the molecular, synaptic and circuit levels, remains poorly understood. The study of sensory perception in Caenorhabditis elegans has begun to fill this gap. We have gained a considerable amount of insight into the general principles of sensory neurobiology owing to C. elegans’ highly sensitive perceptions, relatively simple nervous system, ample genetic tools and completely mapped neural connectome. Many interesting paradigms of multisensory integration have been characterized in C. elegans, for which input convergence occurs at the sensory neuron or the interneuron level. In this narrative review, we describe some representative cases of multisensory integration in C. elegans, summarize the underlying mechanisms and compare them with those in mammalian systems. Despite the differences, we believe C. elegans is able to provide unique insights into how processing and integrating multisensory inputs can generate flexible and adaptive behaviors. With the emergence of whole brain imaging, the ability of C. elegans to monitor nearly the entire nervous system may be crucial for understanding the function of the brain as a whole.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanxun V. Yu
- Department of Neurology, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Correspondence: or
| | - Weikang Xue
- Department of Neurology, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Yuanhua Chen
- Department of Neurology, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430070, China
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16
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Filipowicz A, Lalsiamthara J, Aballay A. Dissection of a sensorimotor circuit underlying pathogen aversion in C. elegans. BMC Biol 2022; 20:229. [PMID: 36209082 PMCID: PMC9548130 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01424-x] [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: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Altering animal behavior to reduce pathogen exposure is a key line of defense against pathogen attack. In Caenorhabditis elegans, alterations in intestinal physiology caused by pathogen colonization and sensation of microbial metabolites may lead to activation of pathogen aversive behaviors ranging from aversive reflexes to learned avoidance. However, the neural circuitry between chemosensory neurons that sense pathogenic bacterial cues and the motor neurons responsible for avoidance-associated locomotion remains unknown. RESULTS Using C. elegans, we found that backward locomotion was a component of learned pathogen avoidance, as animals pre-exposed to Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Enterococcus faecalis showed reflexive aversion to drops of the bacteria driven by chemosensory neurons, including the olfactory AWB neurons. This response also involved intestinal distention and, for E. faecalis, required expression of TRPM channels in the intestine and excretory system. Additionally, we uncovered a circuit composed of olfactory neurons, interneurons, and motor neurons that controls the backward locomotion crucial for learned reflexive aversion to pathogenic bacteria, learned avoidance, and the repulsive odor 2-nonanone. CONCLUSIONS Using whole-brain simulation and functional assays, we uncovered a novel sensorimotor circuit governing learned reflexive aversion. The discovery of a complete sensorimotor circuit for reflexive aversion demonstrates the utility of using the C. elegans connectome and computational modeling in uncovering new neuronal regulators of behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Filipowicz
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Jonathan Lalsiamthara
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Alejandro Aballay
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA.
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17
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Gadenne MJ, Hardege I, Yemini E, Suleski D, Jaggers P, Beets I, Schafer WR, Chew YL. Neuropeptide signalling shapes feeding and reproductive behaviours in male Caenorhabditis elegans. Life Sci Alliance 2022; 5:5/10/e202201420. [PMID: 35738805 PMCID: PMC9233197 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202201420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
LURY-1 peptides are expressed in distinct cells in different sexes and have sex-specific effects on feeding and mating, providing further evidence for the role of neuromodulators in sexual dimorphism. Sexual dimorphism occurs where different sexes of the same species display differences in characteristics not limited to reproduction. For the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, in which the complete neuroanatomy has been solved for both hermaphrodites and males, sexually dimorphic features have been observed both in terms of the number of neurons and in synaptic connectivity. In addition, male behaviours, such as food-leaving to prioritise searching for mates, have been attributed to neuropeptides released from sex-shared or sex-specific neurons. In this study, we show that the lury-1 neuropeptide gene shows a sexually dimorphic expression pattern; being expressed in pharyngeal neurons in both sexes but displaying additional expression in tail neurons only in the male. We also show that lury-1 mutant animals show sex differences in feeding behaviours, with pharyngeal pumping elevated in hermaphrodites but reduced in males. LURY-1 also modulates male mating efficiency, influencing motor events during contact with a hermaphrodite. Our findings indicate sex-specific roles of this peptide in feeding and reproduction in C. elegans, providing further insight into neuromodulatory control of sexually dimorphic behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Gadenne
- Molecular Horizons, University of Wollongong and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Iris Hardege
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Eviatar Yemini
- Department of Neurobiology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Djordji Suleski
- Molecular Horizons, University of Wollongong and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Paris Jaggers
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Isabel Beets
- Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - William R Schafer
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.,Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Yee Lian Chew
- Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute and College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
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18
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Fink T, Jerala R. Designed protease-based signaling networks. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2022; 68:102146. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2022.102146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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19
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Xi Z, Davis L, Baxter K, Tynan A, Goutou A, Greiss S. Using a quadruplet codon to expand the genetic code of an animal. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:4801-4812. [PMID: 34882769 PMCID: PMC9122531 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab1168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 11/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic code expansion in multicellular organisms is currently limited to the use of repurposed amber stop codons. Here, we introduce a system for the use of quadruplet codons to direct incorporation of non-canonical amino acids in vivo in an animal, the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans. We develop hybrid pyrrolysyl tRNA variants to incorporate non-canonical amino acids in response to the quadruplet codon UAGA. We demonstrate the efficiency of the quadruplet decoding system by incorporating photocaged amino acids into two proteins widely used as genetic tools. We use photocaged lysine to express photocaged Cre recombinase for the optical control of gene expression and photocaged cysteine to express photo-activatable caspase for light inducible cell ablation. Our approach will facilitate the routine adoption of quadruplet decoding for genetic code expansion in eukaryotic cells and multicellular organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyan Xi
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Lloyd Davis
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Kieran Baxter
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ailish Tynan
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Angeliki Goutou
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sebastian Greiss
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, UK
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20
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Hori S, Mitani S. The transcription factor unc-130/FOXD3/4 contributes to the biphasic calcium response required to optimize avoidance behavior. Sci Rep 2022; 12:1907. [PMID: 35115609 PMCID: PMC8814005 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05942-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The central neural network optimizes avoidance behavior depending on the nociceptive stimulation intensity and is essential for survival. How the property of hub neurons that enables the selection of behaviors is genetically defined is not well understood. We show that the transcription factor unc-130, a human FOXD3/4 ortholog, is required to optimize avoidance behavior depending on stimulus strength in Caenorhabditis elegans. unc-130 is necessary for both ON responses (calcium decreases) and OFF responses (calcium increases) in AIBs, central neurons of avoidance optimization. Ablation of predicted upstream inhibitory neurons reduces the frequency of turn behavior, suggesting that optimization needs both calcium responses. At the molecular level, unc-130 upregulates the expression of at least three genes: nca-2, a homolog of the vertebrate cation leak channel NALCN; glr-1, an AMPA-type glutamate receptor; and eat-4, a hypothetical L-glutamate transmembrane transporter in the central neurons of optimization. unc-130 shows more limited regulation in optimizing behavior than an atonal homolog lin-32, and unc-130 and lin-32 appear to act in parallel molecular pathways. Our findings suggest that unc-130 is required for the establishment of some AIB identities to optimize avoidance behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayaka Hori
- Department of Physiology, Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 162-8666, Japan
| | - Shohei Mitani
- Department of Physiology, Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 162-8666, Japan.
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21
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Katz M. Genetic Methods for Cellular Manipulation in C. elegans. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2468:51-72. [PMID: 35320560 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2181-3_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Neuron manipulation in vivo by ablation, activation or inactivation, and regulation of gene expression is essential for dissecting nervous system function. Here we describe genetic means for neuron manipulation in the nematode C. elegans, and provide protocols for generating transgenic animals containing these genetic tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Menachem Katz
- Department of Biology, Technion- Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
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22
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A single chemosensory GPCR is required for a concentration-dependent behavioral switching in C. elegans. Curr Biol 2021; 32:398-411.e4. [PMID: 34906353 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.11.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Animals detect and discriminate countless environmental chemicals for their well-being and survival. Although a single chemical can trigger opposing behavioral responses depending on its concentration, the mechanisms underlying such a concentration-dependent switching remain poorly understood. Here, we show that C. elegans exhibits either attraction or avoidance of the bacteria-derived volatile chemical dimethyl trisulfide (DMTS) depending on its concentration. This behavioral switching is mediated by two different types of chemosensory neurons, both of which express the DMTS-sensitive seven-transmembrane G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) SRI-14. These two sensory neurons share downstream interneurons that process and translate DMTS signals via distinct glutamate receptors to generate the appropriate behavioral outcome. Thus, our results present one mechanism by which an animal connects two distinct types of chemosensory neurons detecting a common ligand to alternate downstream circuitry, thus efficiently switching between specific behavioral programs based on ligand concentration.
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23
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Sengupta T, Koonce NL, Vázquez-Martínez N, Moyle MW, Duncan LH, Emerson SE, Han X, Shao L, Wu Y, Santella A, Fan L, Bao Z, Mohler W, Shroff H, Colón-Ramos DA. Differential adhesion regulates neurite placement via a retrograde zippering mechanism. eLife 2021; 10:71171. [PMID: 34783657 PMCID: PMC8843091 DOI: 10.7554/elife.71171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
During development, neurites and synapses segregate into specific neighborhoods or layers within nerve bundles. The developmental programs guiding placement of neurites in specific layers, and hence their incorporation into specific circuits, are not well understood. We implement novel imaging methods and quantitative models to document the embryonic development of the C. elegans brain neuropil, and discover that differential adhesion mechanisms control precise placement of single neurites onto specific layers. Differential adhesion is orchestrated via developmentally-regulated expression of the IgCAM SYG-1, and its partner ligand SYG-2. Changes in SYG-1 expression across neuropil layers result in changes in adhesive forces, which sort SYG-2-expressing neurons. Sorting to layers occurs, not via outgrowth from the neurite tip, but via an alternate mechanism of retrograde zippering, involving interactions between neurite shafts. Our study indicates that biophysical principles from differential adhesion govern neurite placement and synaptic specificity in vivo in developing neuropil bundles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Titas Sengupta
- Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, United States
| | - Noelle L Koonce
- Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, United States
| | | | - Mark W Moyle
- Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, United States
| | | | - Sarah E Emerson
- Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, United States
| | - Xiaofei Han
- National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Lin Shao
- Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, United States
| | - Yicong Wu
- National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Anthony Santella
- Developmental Biology Program, Molecular Cytology Core, Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York, United States
| | - Li Fan
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, United States
| | - Zhirong Bao
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York, United States
| | - William Mohler
- Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, United States
| | - Hari Shroff
- National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
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24
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Byrd DT, Jin Y. Wired for insight-recent advances in Caenorhabditis elegans neural circuits. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 69:159-169. [PMID: 33957432 PMCID: PMC8387325 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The completion of Caenorhabditis elegans connectomics four decades ago has long guided mechanistic investigation of neuronal circuits. Recent technological advances in microscopy and computation programs have aided re-examination of this connectomics, expanding our knowledge by both uncovering previously unreported synaptic connections and also generating models for neural networks underlying behaviors. Combining molecular information from single cell transcriptomes with elegant tools for cell-specific manipulation has further enhanced the ability to precisely investigate individual neurons in behaving animals. This mini-review aims to provide an overview of new information on connectomics and progress toward a molecular atlas of C. elegans nervous system, and discuss emerging findings on neuronal circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana T Byrd
- Neurobiology Section, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
| | - Yishi Jin
- Neurobiology Section, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA; Kavli Institute of Brain and Mind, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
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25
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Wakabayashi T, Nojiri Y, Takahashi-Watanabe M. Multiple Chemosensory Neurons Mediate Avoidance Behavior to Rare Earth Ions in Caenorhabditis elegans. Biol Trace Elem Res 2021; 199:2764-2769. [PMID: 32914378 DOI: 10.1007/s12011-020-02375-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
As rare earth (RE) metals are abundantly present in the soil, in spite of their name, it is conceivable that organisms may encounter and interact with RE ions. In the present study, we demonstrated that the soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans avoids RE ions, such as yttrium and all examined lanthanide ions, which exhibit toxic effects on nematodes. We also demonstrated that the chemosensory system of this animal mediates avoidance behavior toward RE ions similar to heavy metal (HM) ion avoidance. The C. elegans dyf-11(pe554) mutant is unable to respond to chemosensory cues because it lacks all ciliated endings of the chemosensory neurons required for the detection of environmental chemicals. Cell-specific rescue of the dyf-11 mutant and cell-specific genetic ablation studies revealed that the avoidance behavior toward HM and RE ions was mediated by a partially overlapping but distinct subset of chemosensory neurons (ASH, ADL, ASE, ADF, and ASK). With the help of multiple chemosensory neurons, worms may improve the fidelity of avoidance behavior to evade RE ions. Among the chemosensory neurons in C. elegans, ADF and ASK neurons were involved in RE avoidance, but not in HM avoidance. These results suggested that ADF and ASK neurons in C. elegans have RE-selective mechanisms to mediate the avoidance response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tokumitsu Wakabayashi
- Department of Chemistry and Biosciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Iwate University, 4-3-5 Ueda, Morioka, 020-8551, Japan.
| | - Yui Nojiri
- Department of Chemistry and Biosciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Iwate University, 4-3-5 Ueda, Morioka, 020-8551, Japan
| | - Miwa Takahashi-Watanabe
- Department of Chemistry and Biosciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Iwate University, 4-3-5 Ueda, Morioka, 020-8551, Japan
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26
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Emmons SW, Yemini E, Zimmer M. Methods for analyzing neuronal structure and activity in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2021; 218:6303616. [PMID: 34151952 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyab072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The model research animal Caenorhabditis elegans has unique properties making it particularly advantageous for studies of the nervous system. The nervous system is composed of a stereotyped complement of neurons connected in a consistent manner. Here, we describe methods for studying nervous system structure and function. The transparency of the animal makes it possible to visualize and identify neurons in living animals with fluorescent probes. These methods have been recently enhanced for the efficient use of neuron-specific reporter genes. Because of its simple structure, for a number of years, C. elegans has been at the forefront of connectomic studies defining synaptic connectivity by electron microscopy. This field is burgeoning with new, more powerful techniques, and recommended up-to-date methods are here described that encourage the possibility of new work in C. elegans. Fluorescent probes for single synapses and synaptic connections have allowed verification of the EM reconstructions and for experimental approaches to synapse formation. Advances in microscopy and in fluorescent reporters sensitive to Ca2+ levels have opened the way to observing activity within single neurons across the entire nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott W Emmons
- Department of Genetics and Dominick Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 1041, USA
| | - Eviatar Yemini
- Department of Biological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Manuel Zimmer
- Department of Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria and.,Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Vienna 1030, Austria
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27
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Queirós L, Monteiro L, Marques C, Pereira JL, Gonçalves FJM, Aschner M, Pereira P. Measurement of the Effects of Metals on Taxis-to-Food Behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans. Curr Protoc 2021; 1:e131. [PMID: 33974358 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Chemosensation in nematodes is linked to processes that affect their ability to survive, such as the search for food and the avoidance of toxic substances. Since the 1970s, numerous studies have assessed chemotaxis in the nematode species Caenorhabditis elegans, focusing on a multitude of agents, including bacteria (food), ions, salts, hormones, volatile organic compounds, and, to a lesser extent, metal-contaminated medium/food. The few studies evaluating metal exposure have reported a variety of responses (neutral, attraction, avoidance), which generally appear to be contaminant and/or concentration specific. Differences in experimental designs, however, hinder appropriate comparison of the findings and attainment of firm conclusions. Therefore, we herein propose and describe a detailed protocol for the assessment of the effects of metals on taxis-to-food behavior in C. elegans. Distinct approaches are proposed in two innovative stages of testing to (1) screen metals' effects on taxis-to-food behavior and (2) classify the behavioral response as attraction/avoidance/indifference or preference. Use of such a standard protocol will allow for easy comparison across studies and direct interpretation of results. Findings using this model system can contribute to a deeper understanding of the real risks of metal contamination to nematodes and how such contaminants could impact ecosystems in general, given the key environmental roles that these organisms play. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol: Assessing the effects of metal contamination on taxis-to-food behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans Support Protocol 1: Synchronization of C. elegans by hand-picking gravid worms Support Protocol 2: Synchronization of C. elegans by using a bleaching solution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Libânia Queirós
- Department of Biology & CESAM (Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies), University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Luana Monteiro
- Marine Biology Research Group, Biology Department, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Carlos Marques
- Department of Biology & CESAM (Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies), University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Joana L Pereira
- Department of Biology & CESAM (Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies), University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Fernando J M Gonçalves
- Department of Biology & CESAM (Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies), University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Michael Aschner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
| | - Patrícia Pereira
- Department of Biology & CESAM (Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies), University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
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28
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Otarigho B, Aballay A. Immunity-longevity tradeoff neurally controlled by GABAergic transcription factor PITX1/UNC-30. Cell Rep 2021; 35:109187. [PMID: 34038721 PMCID: PMC8227953 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
A body of evidence indicates that metazoan immune and aging pathways are largely interconnected, but the mechanisms involved in their homeostatic control remain unclear. In this study, we find that the PITX (paired-like homeodomain) transcription factor UNC-30 controls the tradeoff between immunity and longevity from the nervous system in Caenorhabditis elegans. PITX/UNC-30 functional loss enhances immunity in a GATA/ELT-2- and p38 MAPK/PMK-1-dependent manner and reduced longevity by activating MXD/MDL-1 and the C2H2-type zinc finger transcription factor PQM-1. The immune inhibitory and longevity stimulatory functions of PITX/UNC-30 require the sensory neuron ASG and a signaling pathway controlled by NPR-1, which is a G protein-coupled receptor related to mammalian neuropeptide Y receptors. Our findings uncover a suppressive role of GABAergic signaling in the neural control of a biological tradeoff where energy is allocated toward immunity at the expense of longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benson Otarigho
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Alejandro Aballay
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
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29
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Hino T, Hirai S, Ishihara T, Fujiwara M. EGL-4/PKG regulates the role of an interneuron in a chemotaxis circuit of C. elegans through mediating integration of sensory signals. Genes Cells 2021; 26:411-425. [PMID: 33817914 DOI: 10.1111/gtc.12849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Interneurons, innervated by multiple sensory neurons, need to integrate information from these sensory neurons and respond to sensory stimuli adequately. Mechanisms how sensory information is integrated to form responses of interneurons are not fully understood. In Caenorhabditis elegans, loss-of-function mutations of egl-4, which encodes a cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG), cause a defect in chemotaxis to odorants. Our genetic and imaging analyses revealed that the response property of AIY interneuron to an odorant is reversed in the egl-4 mutant, while the responses of two upstream olfactory neurons, AWA and AWC, are largely unchanged. Cell- ablation experiments show that AIY in the egl-4 mutant functions to suppress chemotaxis. Furthermore, the reversal of AIY response occurs only in the presence of sensory signals from both AWA and AWC. These results suggest that sensory signals are inadequately integrated in the egl-4 mutant. We also show that egl-4 expression in AWA and another sensory neuron prevents the reversed AIY response and restores chemotaxis in the egl-4 mutants. We propose that EGL-4/PKG, by suppressing aberrant integration of signals from olfactory neurons, converts the response property of an interneuron to olfactory stimuli and maintains the role of the interneuron in the circuit to execute chemotactic behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takahiro Hino
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Shota Hirai
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Takeshi Ishihara
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Manabi Fujiwara
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
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30
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Structural and developmental principles of neuropil assembly in C. elegans. Nature 2021; 591:99-104. [PMID: 33627875 PMCID: PMC8385650 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-03169-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Neuropil is a fundamental form of tissue organization within the brain1, in which densely packed neurons synaptically interconnect into precise circuit architecture2,3. However, the structural and developmental principles that govern this nanoscale precision remain largely unknown4,5. Here we use an iterative data coarse-graining algorithm termed 'diffusion condensation'6 to identify nested circuit structures within the Caenorhabditis elegans neuropil, which is known as the nerve ring. We show that the nerve ring neuropil is largely organized into four strata that are composed of related behavioural circuits. The stratified architecture of the neuropil is a geometrical representation of the functional segregation of sensory information and motor outputs, with specific sensory organs and muscle quadrants mapping onto particular neuropil strata. We identify groups of neurons with unique morphologies that integrate information across strata and that create neural structures that cage the strata within the nerve ring. We use high resolution light-sheet microscopy7,8 coupled with lineage-tracing and cell-tracking algorithms9,10 to resolve the developmental sequence and reveal principles of cell position, migration and outgrowth that guide stratified neuropil organization. Our results uncover conserved structural design principles that underlie the architecture and function of the nerve ring neuropil, and reveal a temporal progression of outgrowth-based on pioneer neurons-that guides the hierarchical development of the layered neuropil. Our findings provide a systematic blueprint for using structural and developmental approaches to understand neuropil organization within the brain.
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31
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Bowles SN, Johnson CM. Inferences of glia-mediated control in Caenorhabditis elegans. J Neurosci Res 2021; 99:1191-1206. [PMID: 33559247 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Astrocytes modulate synaptic transmission; yet, it remains unclear how glia influence complex behaviors. Here, we explore the effects of Caenorhabditis elegans astrocyte-like cephalic glia (CEPglia ) and the glia-specific bHLH transcription factor HLH-17 on mating behavior and the defecation motor program (DMP). In C. elegans, male mating has been explicitly described through the male tail circuit and is characterized by coordination of multiple independent behaviors to ensure that copulation is achieved. Furthermore, the sex-specific male mating circuitry shares similar components with the DMP, which is complex and rhythmic, and requires a fixed sequence of behaviors to be activated periodically. We found that loss of CEPglia reduced persistence in executing mating behaviors and hindered copulation, while males that lacked HLH-17 demonstrated repetitive prodding behavior that increased the time spent in mating but did not hinder copulation. During the DMP, we found that posterior body wall contractions (pBocs) and enteric muscle contractions (EMCs) were differentially affected by loss of HLH-17 or CEPglia in males and hermaphrodites. pBocs and EMCs required HLH-17 activity in both sexes, whereas loss of CEPglia alone did not affect DMP in males. Our data suggest that CEPglia mediate complex behaviors by signaling to the GABAergic DVB neuron, and that HLH-17 activity influences those discrete steps within those behaviors. Collectively, these data provide evidence of glia as a link in cooperative regulation of complex and rhythmic behavior that, in C. elegans links circuitry in the head and the tail.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Casonya M Johnson
- Department of Biology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Department of Biology, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, USA
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32
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Yeon J, Takeishi A, Sengupta P. Chronic vs acute manipulations reveal degeneracy in a thermosensory neuron network. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2021; 2021:10.17912/micropub.biology.000355. [PMID: 33474527 PMCID: PMC7812381 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Degenerate networks can drive similar circuit outputs. Via acute manipulation of individual neurons, we previously identified circuit components that are necessary and sufficient to drive starvation-dependent plasticity in C. elegans thermotaxis behavior. Here we find that when these components are instead silenced chronically, degenerate mechanisms compensate to drive this behavior. Our results indicate that degeneracy in neuronal network function can be revealed under specific experimental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jihye Yeon
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA
| | - Asuka Takeishi
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA
- RIKEN Hakubi Research Team, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Japan
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33
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Wang M, Witvliet D, Wu M, Kang L, Shao Z. Temperature regulates synaptic subcellular specificity mediated by inhibitory glutamate signaling. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009295. [PMID: 33428618 PMCID: PMC7822552 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Environmental factors such as temperature affect neuronal activity and development. However, it remains unknown whether and how they affect synaptic subcellular specificity. Here, using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans AIY interneurons as a model, we found that high cultivation temperature robustly induces defects in synaptic subcellular specificity through glutamatergic neurotransmission. Furthermore, we determined that the functional glutamate is mainly released by the ASH sensory neurons and sensed by two conserved inhibitory glutamate-gated chloride channels GLC-3 and GLC-4 in AIY. Our work not only presents a novel neurotransmission-dependent mechanism underlying the synaptic subcellular specificity, but also provides a potential mechanistic insight into high-temperature-induced neurological defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengqing Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Daniel Witvliet
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mengting Wu
- Department of Neurosurgery, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lijun Kang
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurosurgery of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zhiyong Shao
- Department of Neurosurgery, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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34
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Ge MH, Wang W, Wu TH, Wen X, Al-Sheikh U, Chen LL, Yin SW, Wu JJ, Huang JH, He QQ, Liu H, Li R, Wang PZ, Wu ZX. Dual Recombining-out System for Spatiotemporal Gene Expression in C. elegans. iScience 2020; 23:101567. [PMID: 33083734 PMCID: PMC7549056 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Specific recording, labeling, and spatiotemporal manipulating neurons are essential for neuroscience research. In this study, we developed a tripartite spatiotemporal gene induction system in C. elegans, which is based on the knockout of two transcriptional terminators (stops in short) by two different recombinases FLP and CRE. The recombinase sites (loxP and FRT) flanked stops after a ubiquitous promoter terminate transcription of target genes. FLP and CRE, induced by two promoters of overlapping expression, remove the stops (subsequent FLP/CRE-out). The system provides an "AND" gate strategy for specific gene expression in single types of cell(s). Combined with an inducible promoter or element, the system can control the spatiotemporal expression of genes in defined cell types, especially in cells or tissues lacking a specific promoter. This tripartite FLP/CRE-out gene expression system is a simple, labor- and cost-saving toolbox for cell type-specific and inducible gene expression in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Hai Ge
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Tai-Hong Wu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xin Wen
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Umar Al-Sheikh
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Li-Li Chen
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Sheng-Wu Yin
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jing-Jing Wu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jia-Hao Huang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Qing-Qin He
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Hui Liu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Rong Li
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ping-Zhou Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zheng-Xing Wu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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35
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Wang F, Wang K, Forknall N, Parekh R, Dickson BJ. Circuit and Behavioral Mechanisms of Sexual Rejection by Drosophila Females. Curr Biol 2020; 30:3749-3760.e3. [PMID: 32795445 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.07.083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Revised: 07/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The mating decisions of Drosophila melanogaster females are primarily revealed through either of two discrete actions: opening of the vaginal plates to allow copulation, or extrusion of the ovipositor to reject the male. Both actions are triggered by the male courtship song, and both are dependent upon the female's mating status. Virgin females are more likely to open their vaginal plates in response to song; mated females are more likely to extrude their ovipositor. Here, we examine the neural cause and behavioral consequence of ovipositor extrusion. We show that the DNp13 descending neurons act as command-type neurons for ovipositor extrusion, and that ovipositor extrusion is an effective deterrent only when performed by females that have previously mated. The DNp13 neurons respond to male song via direct synaptic input from the pC2l auditory neurons. Mating status does not modulate the song responses of DNp13 neurons, but rather how effectively they can engage the motor circuits for ovipositor extrusion. We present evidence that mating status information is mediated by ppk+ sensory neurons in the uterus, which are activated upon ovulation. Vaginal plate opening and ovipositor extrusion are thus controlled by anatomically and functionally distinct circuits, highlighting the diversity of neural decision-making circuits even in the context of closely related behaviors with shared exteroceptive and interoceptive inputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Wang
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Kaiyu Wang
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Nora Forknall
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Ruchi Parekh
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Barry J Dickson
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA; Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
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36
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Mruk K, Ciepla P, Piza PA, Alnaqib MA, Chen JK. Targeted cell ablation in zebrafish using optogenetic transcriptional control. Development 2020; 147:dev183640. [PMID: 32414936 PMCID: PMC7328002 DOI: 10.1242/dev.183640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Cell ablation is a powerful method for elucidating the contributions of individual cell populations to embryonic development and tissue regeneration. Targeted cell loss in whole organisms has been typically achieved through expression of a cytotoxic or prodrug-activating gene product in the cell type of interest. This approach depends on the availability of tissue-specific promoters, and it does not allow further spatial selectivity within the promoter-defined region(s). To address this limitation, we have used the light-inducible GAVPO transactivator in combination with two genetically encoded cell-ablation technologies: the nitroreductase/nitrofuran system and a cytotoxic variant of the M2 ion channel. Our studies establish ablative methods that provide the tissue specificity afforded by cis-regulatory elements and the conditionality of optogenetics. Our studies also demonstrate differences between the nitroreductase and M2 systems that influence their efficacies for specific applications. Using this integrative approach, we have ablated cells in zebrafish embryos with both spatial and temporal control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Mruk
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- School of Pharmacy, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| | - Paulina Ciepla
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Patrick A Piza
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Mohammad A Alnaqib
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - James K Chen
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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37
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Schiffer JA, Servello FA, Heath WR, Amrit FRG, Stumbur SV, Eder M, Martin OMF, Johnsen SB, Stanley JA, Tam H, Brennan SJ, McGowan NG, Vogelaar AL, Xu Y, Serkin WT, Ghazi A, Stroustrup N, Apfeld J. Caenorhabditis elegans processes sensory information to choose between freeloading and self-defense strategies. eLife 2020; 9:e56186. [PMID: 32367802 PMCID: PMC7213980 DOI: 10.7554/elife.56186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Hydrogen peroxide is the preeminent chemical weapon that organisms use for combat. Individual cells rely on conserved defenses to prevent and repair peroxide-induced damage, but whether similar defenses might be coordinated across cells in animals remains poorly understood. Here, we identify a neuronal circuit in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans that processes information perceived by two sensory neurons to control the induction of hydrogen peroxide defenses in the organism. We found that catalases produced by Escherichia coli, the nematode's food source, can deplete hydrogen peroxide from the local environment and thereby protect the nematodes. In the presence of E. coli, the nematode's neurons signal via TGFβ-insulin/IGF1 relay to target tissues to repress expression of catalases and other hydrogen peroxide defenses. This adaptive strategy is the first example of a multicellular organism modulating its defenses when it expects to freeload from the protection provided by molecularly orthologous defenses from another species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - William R Heath
- Biology Department, Northeastern UniversityBostonUnited States
| | | | | | - Matthias Eder
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and TechnologyBarcelonaSpain
| | - Olivier MF Martin
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and TechnologyBarcelonaSpain
| | - Sean B Johnsen
- Biology Department, Northeastern UniversityBostonUnited States
| | | | - Hannah Tam
- Biology Department, Northeastern UniversityBostonUnited States
| | - Sarah J Brennan
- Biology Department, Northeastern UniversityBostonUnited States
| | | | | | - Yuyan Xu
- Biology Department, Northeastern UniversityBostonUnited States
| | | | - Arjumand Ghazi
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghUnited States
- Departments of Developmental Biology and Cell Biology and Physiology, University of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghUnited States
| | - Nicholas Stroustrup
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and TechnologyBarcelonaSpain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)BarcelonaSpain
| | - Javier Apfeld
- Biology Department, Northeastern UniversityBostonUnited States
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38
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Context-dependent operation of neural circuits underlies a navigation behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:6178-6188. [PMID: 32123108 PMCID: PMC7084152 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1918528117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
A free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans memorizes an environmental temperature and migrates toward the remembered temperature on a thermal gradient by switching movement up or down the gradient. How does the C. elegans brain, consisting of 302 neurons, achieve this memory-dependent thermotaxis behavior? Here, we addressed this question through large-scale single-cell ablation, high-resolution behavioral analysis, and computational modeling. We found that depending on whether the environmental temperature is below or above the remembered temperature, distinct sets of neurons are responsible to generate opposing motor biases, thereby switching the movement up or down the thermal gradient. Our study indicates that such a context-dependent operation in neural circuits is essential for flexible execution of animal behavior. The nervous system evaluates environmental cues and adjusts motor output to ensure navigation toward a preferred environment. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans navigates in the thermal environment and migrates toward its cultivation temperature by moving up or down thermal gradients depending not only on absolute temperature but on relative difference between current and previously experienced cultivation temperature. Although previous studies showed that such thermal context-dependent opposing migration is mediated by bias in frequency and direction of reorientation behavior, the complete neural pathways—from sensory to motor neurons—and their circuit logics underlying the opposing behavioral bias remain elusive. By conducting comprehensive cell ablation, high-resolution behavioral analyses, and computational modeling, we identified multiple neural pathways regulating behavioral components important for thermotaxis, and demonstrate that distinct sets of neurons are required for opposing bias of even single behavioral components. Furthermore, our imaging analyses show that the context-dependent operation is evident in sensory neurons, very early in the neural pathway, and manifested by bidirectional responses of a first-layer interneuron AIB under different thermal contexts. Our results suggest that the contextual differences are encoded among sensory neurons and a first-layer interneuron, processed among different downstream neurons, and lead to the flexible execution of context-dependent behavior.
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39
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Dong X, Jin S, Shao Z. Glia Promote Synaptogenesis through an IQGAP PES-7 in C. elegans. Cell Rep 2020; 30:2614-2626.e2. [PMID: 32101740 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.01.102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2019] [Revised: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Synapses are fundamental to the normal function of the nervous system. Glia play a pivotal role in regulating synaptic formation. However, how presynaptic neurons assemble synaptic structure in response to the glial signals remains largely unexplored. To address this question, we use cima-1 mutant C. elegans as an in vivo model, in which the astrocyte-like VCSC glial processes ectopically reach an asynaptic neurite region and promote presynaptic formation there. Through an RNAi screen, we find that the Rho GTPase CDC-42 and IQGAP PES-7 are required in presynaptic neurons for VCSC glia-induced presynaptic formation. In addition, we find that cdc-42 and pes-7 are also required for normal synaptogenesis during postembryonic developmental stages. PES-7 activated by CDC-42 promotes presynaptic formation, most likely through regulating F-actin assembly. Given the evolutionary conservation of CDC-42 and IQGAPs, we speculate that our findings in C. elegans apply to vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohua Dong
- Department of Neurosurgery, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Shuhan Jin
- Department of Neurosurgery, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Zhiyong Shao
- Department of Neurosurgery, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
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40
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Cheng J, Wang X, Qiu L, Li Y, Marraiki N, Elgorban AM, Xue L. Green synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles regulates the apoptotic expression in bone cancer cells MG-63 cells. JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY B-BIOLOGY 2019; 202:111644. [PMID: 31770706 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2019.111644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Revised: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Management of degenerative spine pathologies frequently leads to the need for bone growth. Rehmanniae Radix (RR), a Chinese herbal formulation was found to exhibit numerous therapeutic properties including its potent effect against cancer cell lines. However, the underlying mechanism through which the Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) synthesized from Rehmanniae Radix exerts its anti-cancer activity against osteosarcoma cell line MG-63 needs to be explored. Therefore, the study was performed to evaluate the anticancer, cytotoxicity and apoptotic effectiveness of ZnONPs from RR against MG-63 cells. Characterization studies such UV-vis spectroscopy, FTIR, TEM and XRD analysis were performed. Cytotoxicity assay, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), morphological examination of cells and formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and apoptosis inducing ability of RR were evaluated by various procedures. Western blot analysis of apoptotic markers such as Bax, caspase-3 and caspase-9 were also performed. RR was found to inhibit growth of MG-63 cells at increasing dose. AO/EB staining confirmed the apoptotic efficacy of ZnONPs induced by RR in MG-63 cells. ZnONPs was also found to initiate increased generation of ROS and decreased MMP. Decreased MMP has resulted in increased levels of apoptotic proteins Bax, caspase-3 and caspase-9 and induction of apoptosis was substantiated by western blot analysis. The outcomes of the work propose that ZnONPs from RR exhibits strong anticancer action and inducing apoptosis on MG-63 cells via stimulating increased generation of ROS. Thus, ZnONPs from RR might be used as a hopeful drug target against several types of cancer cell lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Cheng
- Department of Orthopedics, Chongqing Three Gorges Central Hospital, Chongqing Province 404000, China
| | - Xiaofeng Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Weinan Central Hospital, Weinan, Shaanxi Province 714000, China
| | - Lei Qiu
- Department of Oncology, Zhucheng Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhucheng, Shandong Province 262200, China
| | - Yunkai Li
- Emergency Surgery the No.4 Hospital Jinan, Shangdong Province 250031, China
| | - Najat Marraiki
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdallah M Elgorban
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Li Xue
- Department of Orthopaedics, the Third People's Hospital of Chengdu, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiao Tong University Medical School, Chengdu, Sichuan Province 610031, China.
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41
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Meneely PM, Dahlberg CL, Rose JK. Working with Worms:Caenorhabditis elegansas a Model Organism. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/cpet.35] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jacqueline K. Rose
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of PsychologyWestern Washington University Bellingham Washington
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42
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Katz M, Corson F, Iwanir S, Biron D, Shaham S. Glia Modulate a Neuronal Circuit for Locomotion Suppression during Sleep in C. elegans. Cell Rep 2019. [PMID: 29514087 PMCID: PMC5870883 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.02.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Glia have been suggested to regulate sleep-like states in vertebrates and invertebrates alike. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, sleep is associated with molting between larval stages. To understand if glia modulate neural circuits driving sleep in C. elegans larvae, we ablated the astrocyte-like CEPsh glia. We found that glia-ablated animals exhibit episodes of immobility preceding sleep, prolonged sleep, molting-independent short-duration locomotory pausing, and delayed development. CEPsh glia ensheath synapses between the sleep-associated ALA neuron and its postsynaptic partner AVE, a major locomotion interneuron. While AVE calcium transients normally correlate with head retraction, glia ablation results in prolonged calcium transients that are uncoupled from movement. Strikingly, all these glia ablation defects are suppressed by the ablation of ALA. Our results suggest that glia attenuate sleep-promoting inhibitory connections between ALA and AVE, uncovering specific roles for glia in sleep behavior. We propose that similar mechanisms may underlie glial roles in sleep in other animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Menachem Katz
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Francis Corson
- Laboratoire de Physique Statistique, Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Université Paris Diderot, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Shachar Iwanir
- University of Chicago, GCIS E139F, 929 E. 57th St., Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - David Biron
- University of Chicago, GCIS E139F, 929 E. 57th St., Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Shai Shaham
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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43
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Katz M, Corson F, Keil W, Singhal A, Bae A, Lu Y, Liang Y, Shaham S. Glutamate spillover in C. elegans triggers repetitive behavior through presynaptic activation of MGL-2/mGluR5. Nat Commun 2019; 10:1882. [PMID: 31015396 PMCID: PMC6478929 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09581-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Glutamate is a major excitatory neurotransmitter, and impaired glutamate clearance following synaptic release promotes spillover, inducing extra-synaptic signaling. The effects of glutamate spillover on animal behavior and its neural correlates are poorly understood. We developed a glutamate spillover model in Caenorhabditis elegans by inactivating the conserved glial glutamate transporter GLT-1. GLT-1 loss drives aberrant repetitive locomotory reversal behavior through uncontrolled oscillatory release of glutamate onto AVA, a major interneuron governing reversals. Repetitive glutamate release and reversal behavior require the glutamate receptor MGL-2/mGluR5, expressed in RIM and other interneurons presynaptic to AVA. mgl-2 loss blocks oscillations and repetitive behavior; while RIM activation is sufficient to induce repetitive reversals in glt-1 mutants. Repetitive AVA firing and reversals require EGL-30/Gαq, an mGluR5 effector. Our studies reveal that cyclic autocrine presynaptic activation drives repetitive reversals following glutamate spillover. That mammalian GLT1 and mGluR5 are implicated in pathological motor repetition suggests a common mechanism controlling repetitive behaviors. Katz and colleagues examine glutamate spillover effects on C. elegans behaviour. They show that impaired synaptic glutamate clearance in glial glutamate transporter mutants, causes presynaptic mgl-2/mGluR5 activation, generating postsynaptic neural activity oscillations driving repetitive behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Menachem Katz
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Francis Corson
- Laboratoire de Physique Statistique, Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Université Paris Diderot, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Wolfgang Keil
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA.,Center for Studies in Physics and Biology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Anupriya Singhal
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Andrea Bae
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Yun Lu
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Yupu Liang
- Research Bioinformatics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Shai Shaham
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
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44
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Abstract
Insufficient or excessive immune responses to pathogen infection are major causes of disease. Increasing evidence indicates that the nervous system regulates the immune system to help maintain immunological homeostasis. However, the precise mechanisms of this regulation are largely unknown. Here we show the existence of an octopaminergic immunoinhibitory pathway in Caenorhabditis elegans. Our study results indicate that this pathway is tonically active under normal conditions to maintain immunological homeostasis or suppress unwanted innate immune responses but downregulated upon pathogen infection to allow enhanced innate immunity. As excessive innate immune responses have been linked to human health conditions such as Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease, elucidating octopaminergic neural regulation of innate immunity could be helpful in the development of new treatments for innate immune diseases. Upon pathogen infection, the nervous system regulates innate immunity to confer coordinated protection to the host. However, the precise mechanisms of such regulation remain unclear. Previous studies have demonstrated that OCTR-1, a putative G protein-coupled receptor for catecholamine, functions in the sensory neurons designated “ASH” to suppress innate immune responses in Caenorhabditis elegans. It is unknown what molecules act as OCTR-1 ligands in the neural immune regulatory circuit. Here we identify neurotransmitter octopamine (OA) as an endogenous ligand for OCTR-1 in immune regulation and show that the OA-producing RIC neurons function in the OCTR-1 neural circuit to suppress innate immunity. RIC neurons are deactivated in the presence of pathogens but transiently activated by nonpathogenic bacteria. Our data support a model whereby an octopaminergic immunoinhibitory pathway is tonically active under normal conditions to maintain immunological homeostasis or suppress unwanted innate immune responses but downregulated upon pathogen infection to allow enhanced innate immunity. As excessive innate immune responses have been linked to a myriad of human health concerns, our study could potentially benefit the development of more-effective treatments for innate immune disorders.
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45
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White J. Clues to basis of exploratory behaviour of the C. elegans snout from head somatotropy. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:rstb.2017.0367. [PMID: 30201833 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Wave propagation during locomotory movements of Caenorhabditis elegans is constrained to a single dorso/ventral plane. By contrast, the tip of the head (snout) can make rapid exploratory movements in all directions relative to the body axis. These extra degrees of freedom are probably important for animals to seek and identify desirable passages in the interstices of the three-dimensional matrix of soil particles, their usual habitat. The differences in degrees of freedom of movement between snout and body are reflected in the innervation of the musculature. Along the length of the body, the two quadrants of dorsal muscle receive common innervation as do the two quadrants of ventral muscle. By contrast, muscles in the snout have an octagonal arrangement of innervation. It is likely that the exploratory behaviour of the snout is mediated by octant-specific motor and sensory neurons, together with their associated interneurons. The well-defined anatomical structure and neural circuitry of the snout together with behavioural observations should facilitate the implementation of models of the neural basis of exploratory movements, which could lead to an understanding of the basis of this relatively complex behaviour, a behaviour that has similarities to foraging in some vertebrates.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Connectome to behaviour: modelling C. elegans at cellular resolution'.
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Affiliation(s)
- John White
- Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
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46
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Yamaguchi S, Naoki H, Ikeda M, Tsukada Y, Nakano S, Mori I, Ishii S. Identification of animal behavioral strategies by inverse reinforcement learning. PLoS Comput Biol 2018; 14:e1006122. [PMID: 29718905 PMCID: PMC5951592 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2017] [Revised: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals are able to reach a desired state in an environment by controlling various behavioral patterns. Identification of the behavioral strategy used for this control is important for understanding animals’ decision-making and is fundamental to dissect information processing done by the nervous system. However, methods for quantifying such behavioral strategies have not been fully established. In this study, we developed an inverse reinforcement-learning (IRL) framework to identify an animal’s behavioral strategy from behavioral time-series data. We applied this framework to C. elegans thermotactic behavior; after cultivation at a constant temperature with or without food, fed worms prefer, while starved worms avoid the cultivation temperature on a thermal gradient. Our IRL approach revealed that the fed worms used both the absolute temperature and its temporal derivative and that their behavior involved two strategies: directed migration (DM) and isothermal migration (IM). With DM, worms efficiently reached specific temperatures, which explains their thermotactic behavior when fed. With IM, worms moved along a constant temperature, which reflects isothermal tracking, well-observed in previous studies. In contrast to fed animals, starved worms escaped the cultivation temperature using only the absolute, but not the temporal derivative of temperature. We also investigated the neural basis underlying these strategies, by applying our method to thermosensory neuron-deficient worms. Thus, our IRL-based approach is useful in identifying animal strategies from behavioral time-series data and could be applied to a wide range of behavioral studies, including decision-making, in other organisms. Understanding animal decision-making has been a fundamental problem in neuroscience and behavioral ecology. Many studies have analyzed the actions representing decision-making in behavioral tasks, in which rewards are artificially designed with specific objectives. However, it is impossible to extend this artificially designed experiment to a natural environment, as in the latter, the rewards for freely-behaving animals cannot be clearly defined. To this end, we sought to reverse the current paradigm so that rewards could be identified from behavioral data. Here, we propose a new reverse-engineering approach (inverse reinforcement learning), which can estimate a behavioral strategy from time-series data of freely-behaving animals. By applying this technique on C. elegans thermotaxis, we successfully identified the respective reward-based behavioral strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoichiro Yamaguchi
- Integrated Systems Biology Laboratory, Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University, Sakyo, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Honda Naoki
- Laboratory of Theoretical Biology, Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Yoshidakonoecho, Sakyo, Kyoto, Japan
- Data-driven Modeling Team, Research Center for Dynamic Living Systems, Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Yoshidakonoecho, Sakyo, Kyoto, Japan
- * E-mail:
| | - Muneki Ikeda
- Group of Molecular Neurobiology, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Furoucho, Chikusa, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Yuki Tsukada
- Group of Molecular Neurobiology, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Furoucho, Chikusa, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Shunji Nakano
- Group of Molecular Neurobiology, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Furoucho, Chikusa, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Ikue Mori
- Group of Molecular Neurobiology, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Furoucho, Chikusa, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Shin Ishii
- Integrated Systems Biology Laboratory, Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University, Sakyo, Kyoto, Japan
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47
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Split cGAL, an intersectional strategy using a split intein for refined spatiotemporal transgene control in Caenorhabditis elegans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:3900-3905. [PMID: 29581308 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1720063115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Bipartite expression systems, such as the GAL4-UAS system, allow fine manipulation of gene expression and are powerful tools for interrogating gene function. Recently, we established cGAL, a GAL4-based bipartite expression system for transgene control in Caenorhabditis elegans, where a single promoter dictates the expression pattern of a cGAL driver, which then binds target upstream activation sequences to drive expression of a downstream effector gene. Here, we report a split strategy for cGAL using the split intein gp41-1 for intersectional control of transgene expression. Split inteins are protein domains that associate, self-excise, and covalently ligate their flanking peptides together. We split the DNA binding domain and transcriptional activation domain of cGAL and fused them to the N terminal of gp41-1-N-intein and the C terminal of gp41-1-C-intein, respectively. In cells where both halves of cGAL are expressed, a functional cGAL driver is reconstituted via intein-mediated protein splicing. This reconstitution allows expression of the driver to be dictated by two promoters for refined spatial control or spatiotemporal control of transgene expression. We apply the split cGAL system to genetically access the single pair of MC neurons (previously inaccessible with a single promoter), and reveal an important role of protein kinase A in rhythmic pharyngeal pumping in C. elegans Thus, the split cGAL system gives researchers a greater degree of spatiotemporal control over transgene expression, and will be a valuable genetic tool in C. elegans for dissecting gene function with finer cell-specific resolution.
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48
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Abstract
Biological sex, a fundamental dimension of internal state, can modulate neural circuits to generate behavioral variation. Understanding how and why circuits are tuned by sex can provide important insights into neural and behavioral plasticity. Here we find that sexually dimorphic behavioral responses to C. elegans ascaroside sex pheromones are implemented by the functional modulation of shared chemosensory circuitry. In particular, the sexual state of a single sensory neuron pair, ADF, determines the nature of an animal's behavioral response regardless of the sex of the rest of the body. Genetic feminization of ADF causes males to be repelled by, rather than attracted to, ascarosides, whereas masculinization of ADF has the opposite effect in hermaphrodites. When ADF is ablated, both sexes are weakly repelled by ascarosides. Genetic sex modulates ADF function by tuning chemosensation: although ADF is functional in both sexes, it detects the ascaroside ascr#3 only in males, a consequence of cell-autonomous action of the master sexual regulator tra-1. This occurs in part through the conserved DM-domain gene mab-3, which promotes the male state of ADF. The sexual modulation of ADF has a key role in reproductive fitness, as feminization or ablation of ADF renders males unable to use ascarosides to locate mates. Our results reveal an economical mechanism in which sex-specific behavioral valence arises through the cell-autonomous regulation of a chemosensory switch by genetic sex, allowing a social cue with salience for both sexes to elicit navigational responses commensurate with the differing needs of each.
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49
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Drikic M, De Buck J. Split trehalase as a versatile reporter for a wide range of biological analytes. Biotechnol Bioeng 2018; 115:1128-1136. [DOI: 10.1002/bit.26556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2017] [Revised: 01/17/2018] [Accepted: 01/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marija Drikic
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Production Animal Health; University of Calgary; Calgary Alberta Canada
| | - Jeroen De Buck
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Production Animal Health; University of Calgary; Calgary Alberta Canada
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50
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Hawk JD, Calvo AC, Liu P, Almoril-Porras A, Aljobeh A, Torruella-Suárez ML, Ren I, Cook N, Greenwood J, Luo L, Wang ZW, Samuel ADT, Colón-Ramos DA. Integration of Plasticity Mechanisms within a Single Sensory Neuron of C. elegans Actuates a Memory. Neuron 2018; 97:356-367.e4. [PMID: 29307713 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2017.12.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2017] [Revised: 09/24/2017] [Accepted: 12/15/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Neural plasticity, the ability of neurons to change their properties in response to experiences, underpins the nervous system's capacity to form memories and actuate behaviors. How different plasticity mechanisms act together in vivo and at a cellular level to transform sensory information into behavior is not well understood. We show that in Caenorhabditis elegans two plasticity mechanisms-sensory adaptation and presynaptic plasticity-act within a single cell to encode thermosensory information and actuate a temperature preference memory. Sensory adaptation adjusts the temperature range of the sensory neuron (called AFD) to optimize detection of temperature fluctuations associated with migration. Presynaptic plasticity in AFD is regulated by the conserved kinase nPKCε and transforms thermosensory information into a behavioral preference. Bypassing AFD presynaptic plasticity predictably changes learned behavioral preferences without affecting sensory responses. Our findings indicate that two distinct neuroplasticity mechanisms function together through a single-cell logic system to enact thermotactic behavior. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josh D Hawk
- Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, and Repair, Department of Cell Biology and Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, PO Box 9812, New Haven, CT 06536-0812, USA
| | - Ana C Calvo
- Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, and Repair, Department of Cell Biology and Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, PO Box 9812, New Haven, CT 06536-0812, USA
| | - Ping Liu
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Agustin Almoril-Porras
- Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, and Repair, Department of Cell Biology and Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, PO Box 9812, New Haven, CT 06536-0812, USA
| | - Ahmad Aljobeh
- Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, and Repair, Department of Cell Biology and Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, PO Box 9812, New Haven, CT 06536-0812, USA
| | - María Luisa Torruella-Suárez
- Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, and Repair, Department of Cell Biology and Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, PO Box 9812, New Haven, CT 06536-0812, USA
| | - Ivy Ren
- Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, and Repair, Department of Cell Biology and Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, PO Box 9812, New Haven, CT 06536-0812, USA
| | - Nathan Cook
- Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, and Repair, Department of Cell Biology and Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, PO Box 9812, New Haven, CT 06536-0812, USA
| | - Joel Greenwood
- Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, and Repair, Department of Cell Biology and Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, PO Box 9812, New Haven, CT 06536-0812, USA; Department of Physics and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Linjiao Luo
- Key Laboratory of Modern Acoustics, Ministry of Education, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
| | - Zhao-Wen Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Aravinthan D T Samuel
- Department of Physics and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Daniel A Colón-Ramos
- Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, and Repair, Department of Cell Biology and Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, PO Box 9812, New Haven, CT 06536-0812, USA; Instituto de Neurobiología, Recinto de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad de Puerto Rico, 201 Blvd del Valle, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
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