Cholinergic signaling at the body wall neuromuscular junction distally inhibits feeding behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans.

ABSTRACT: Complex biological functions within organisms are frequently orchestrated by systemic communication between tissues. In the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans, the pharyngeal and body wall neuromuscular junctions are two discrete structures that control feeding and locomotion, respectively. Separate, the well-defined neuromuscular circuits control these distinct tissues. Nonetheless, the emergent behaviors, feeding and locomotion, are coordinated to guarantee the efficiency of food intake. Here, we show that pharmacological hyperactivation of cholinergic transmission at the body wall muscle reduces the rate of pumping behavior. This was evidenced by a systematic screening of the effect of the cholinesterase inhibitor aldicarb on the rate of pharyngeal pumping on food in mutant worms. Th

SUBMITTER: Izquierdo PG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8801469 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature