RRC ID 65310
Author Liu P, Chen B, Wang ZW.
Title GABAergic motor neurons bias locomotor decision-making in C. elegans.
Journal Nat Commun
Abstract Proper threat-reward decision-making is critical to animal survival. Emerging evidence indicates that the motor system may participate in decision-making but the neural circuit and molecular bases for these functions are little known. We found in C. elegans that GABAergic motor neurons (D-MNs) bias toward the reward behavior in threat-reward decision-making by retrogradely inhibiting a pair of premotor command interneurons, AVA, that control cholinergic motor neurons in the avoidance neural circuit. This function of D-MNs is mediated by a specific ionotropic GABA receptor (UNC-49) in AVA, and depends on electrical coupling between the two AVA interneurons. Our results suggest that AVA are hub neurons where sensory inputs from threat and reward sensory modalities and motor information from D-MNs are integrated. This study demonstrates at single-neuron resolution how motor neurons may help shape threat-reward choice behaviors through interacting with other neurons.
Volume 11(1)
Pages 5076
Published 2020-10-8
DOI 10.1038/s41467-020-18893-9
PII 10.1038/s41467-020-18893-9
PMID 33033264
PMC PMC7544903
MeSH Animals Avoidance Learning Bias Caenorhabditis elegans / physiology* Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / metabolism Chemotaxis Electrophysiological Phenomena GABAergic Neurons / metabolism* Gap Junctions / metabolism Glycerol / pharmacology Interneurons / metabolism Locomotion / physiology* Motor Neurons / metabolism* Optogenetics Osmolar Concentration Receptors, Cholinergic / metabolism Synapses / metabolism
Resource
C.elegans tm2738 tm2071