AFD Thermosensory Neurons Mediate Tactile-Dependent Locomotion Modulation in <i>C. elegans</i>.

ABSTRACT: Sensory neurons drive animal behaviors by detecting environmental stimuli and relaying information to downstream circuits. Beyond their primary roles in sensing, these neurons often form additional synaptic connections outside their main sensory modality, suggesting broader contributions to behavior modulation. Here, we uncover an unexpected role for the thermosensory neuron AFD in coupling tactile experience to locomotion modulation in Caenorhabditis elegans. We show that while AFD employs cGMP signaling for both thermotaxis and tactile-dependent modulation, the specific molecular components of the cGMP pathway differ between these two processes. Interestingly, disrupting the dendritic sensory apparatus of AFD, which is essential for thermotaxis, does not impair tactile-based locom

SUBMITTER: Rosero M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11888201 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature