Different modes of stimuli delivery elicit changes in glutamate driven, experience-dependent interneuron response in C. elegans. (January 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mabardi, Llian; Sato, Hirofumi; Toyoshima, Yu; Iino, Yuichi; Kunitomo, Hirofumi
• Is Part Of: Neuroscience research. Volume 186(2023)
• Page Start: 33
• Page End: 42
• Publication Date: 2023-01
• Subjects: C. elegans -- Chemotaxis -- Interneuron response -- Glutamate signaling; Neurosciences -- Research -- Periodicals; Neurosciences -- Research -- Japan -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; Neurosciences -- Periodicals; Neurosciences -- Recherche -- Périodiques; Neurosciences -- Recherche -- Japon -- Périodiques; Neurosciences -- Research; Japan; Periodicals; 612.8
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2022.10.004
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0168-0102

Abstract

Abstract: Memory-related neuronal responses are often elicited by sensory stimuli that recapitulate previous experience. Despite the importance of this sensory input processing, its underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Caenorhabditis elegans chemotax towards salt concentrations experienced in the presence of food. The amphid sensory neurons ASE-left and ASE-right respond to increases and decreases of ambient salt concentration in opposite manners. AIA, AIB and AIY interneurons are post-synaptic to the ASE pair and are thought to be involved in the processing of salt information transmitted from ASE. However, it remains elusive how the responses of these interneurons are regulated by stimulus patterns. Here we show that AIY interneurons display an experience-dependent response to gradual salt concentration changes but not to abrupt stepwise concentration changes. Animals with AIY intact (but AIA and AIB ablated) chemotax towards low salt concentrations similarly to wild-type animals after cultivation with low salt. ASE neurons transmit salt information about the environment through glutamatergic signaling, directing the activity of the interneurons AIY that promote movement towards favorable conditions. Highlights: The interneuron AIY is a major driver of learned low-salt chemotaxis. AIY response to salt stimuli changes from deterministic to experienced dependent based on stimulus delivery patterns. AIY response to salt stimuli is dependent on glutamate signaling from the ASE salt-sensing neurons.