Multiple sensory neurons mediate starvation-dependent aversive navigation in Caenorhabditis elegans.

ABSTRACT: Animals demonstrate flexible behaviors through associative learning based on their experiences. Deciphering the neural mechanisms for sensing and integrating multiple types of sensory information is critical for understanding such behavioral controls. The soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans avoids salt concentrations it has previously experienced under starvation conditions. Here, we identify a pair of sensory neurons, the ASG neuron pair, which in cooperation with the ASER salt-sensing neuron generate starvation-dependent salt avoidance. Animals whose sensory input is restricted to only ASER failed to show learned avoidance due to inappropriately directed navigation behaviors. However, their navigation through a salt concentration gradient was improved by allowing sensory inputs t

SUBMITTER: Jang MS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6744849 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature