Caenorhabditis elegans Show Preference for Stimulants and Potential as a Model Organism for Medications Screening.

ABSTRACT: The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is a popular invertebrate model organism to study neurobiological disease states. This is due in part to the intricate mapping of all neurons and synapses of the entire animal, the wide availability of mutant strains, and the genetic and molecular tools that can be used to manipulate the genome and gene expression. We have shown that, C. elegans develops a conditioned preference for cues that had previously been paired with either cocaine or methamphetamine exposure that is dependent on dopamine neurotransmission, similar to findings using place conditioning with rats and mice. In the current study, we show C. elegans also display a preference for, and self-exposure to, cocaine and nicotine. This substance of abus

SUBMITTER: Engleman EA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6125605 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature