RRC ID 51478
著者 Scott E, Hudson A, Feist E, Calahorro F, Dillon J, de Freitas R, Wand M, Schoofs L, O'Connor V, Holden-Dye L.
タイトル An oxytocin-dependent social interaction between larvae and adult C. elegans.
ジャーナル Sci Rep
Abstract Oxytocin has a conserved role in regulating animal social behaviour including parental-offspring interactions. Recently an oxytocin-like neuropeptide, nematocin, and its cognate receptors have been identified in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We provide evidence for a pheromone signal produced by C. elegans larvae that modifies the behaviour of adult animals in an oxytocin-dependent manner increasing their probability of leaving a food patch which the larvae are populating. This increase is positively correlated to the size of the larval population but cannot be explained by food depletion nor is it modulated by biogenic amines, which suggest it is not an aversive behaviour. Moreover, the food-leaving behaviour is conspecific and pheromone dependent: C. elegans adults respond more strongly to C. elegans larvae compared to other nematode species and this effect is absent in C. elegans daf-22 larvae which are pheromone deficient. Neurotransmitter receptors previously implicated in C. elegans foraging decisions NPR-1 and TYRA-3, for NPY-like neuropeptides and tyramine respectively, do not appear to be involved in oxytocin-dependent adult food-leaving. We conclude oxytocin signals within a novel neural circuit that regulates parental-offspring social behaviour in C. elegans and that this provides evidence for evolutionary conservation of molecular components of a parental decision making behaviour.
巻・号 7(1)
ページ 10122
公開日 2017-8-31
DOI 10.1038/s41598-017-09350-7
PII 10.1038/s41598-017-09350-7
PMID 28860630
PMC PMC5579267
MeSH Animals Caenorhabditis elegans / metabolism Caenorhabditis elegans / physiology Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / metabolism Feeding Behavior* Larva / physiology Oxytocin / metabolism* Receptors, Catecholamine / metabolism Receptors, Neuropeptide Y / metabolism Social Behavior*
IF 3.998
引用数 10
リソース情報
線虫 tm2243 tm2385 tm2765