temperature- and touch-sensitive neurons couple cng and trpv channel activities to control heat avoidance in caenorhabditis elegans温度和触摸感应神经元cng和trpv频道活动来控制热量避免线虫.pdfVIP

Temperature- and Touch-Sensitive Neurons Couple CNG and TRPV Channel Activities to Control Heat Avoidance in Caenorhabditis elegans 1 1 1,2,3 Shu Liu , Ekkehard Schulze , Ralf Baumeister * 1 Laboratory for Bioinformatics and Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany, 2 Center for Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine, and Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies, School of Life Sciences (FRIAS LIFENET), Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany, 3 Centre for Biological Signalling Studies (BIOSS), Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany Abstract Background: Any organism depends on its ability to sense temperature and avoid noxious heat. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans responds to noxious temperatures exceeding ,35uC and also senses changes in its environmental temperature in the range between 15 and 25uC. The neural circuits and molecular mechanisms involved in thermotaxis have been successfully studied, whereas details of the thermal avoidance behavior remain elusive. In this work, we investigate neurological and molecular aspects of thermonociception using genetic, cell biological and physiological approaches. Methodology/Principal Findings: We show here that the thermosensory neurons AFD, in addition to sensing temperature within the range within which the animals can thrive, also contribute to the sensation of noxious temperatures resulting in a reflex-like escape reaction. Distinct sets of interneurons are involved in transmitting thermonociception and thermotaxis, respectively. Loss of AFD is partially compensated by the activity of a pair of multidendritic, polymodal neurons, FLP, whereas laser ablation