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Resources » Paper

Kazushi Yoshida et al. (2010) East Asia Worm Meeting "Neural and behavioral mechanisms of response to an odorant depending on its concentration"

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    Publication type:
    Meeting_abstract
    WormBase ID:
    WBPaper00036550

    Kazushi Yoshida, Takaaki Hirotsu, Takanobu Tagawa, Shigekazu Oda, Yuichi Iino, & Takeshi Ishihara (2010). Neural and behavioral mechanisms of response to an odorant depending on its concentration presented in East Asia Worm Meeting. Unpublished information; cite only with author permission.

    Odor perception can differ depending on its concentration in many species. In C. elegans, it was reported that several odorants such as benzaldehyde and 2, 4, 5-trimethylthiazole, act as attractants at low concentrations, but as repellents at high concentrations. We found that this dose-dependent behavioral change was also observed in chemotaxis to all the odorants tested (isoamyl alcohol, diacetyl, and 2,4-pentanedione). To examine the underlying neural circuit, we performed laser ablation of individual neurons and found that avoidance of high concentration of isoamyl alcohol is regulated by multiple sensory neurons. In addition, we identified some interneurons which positively mediate this avoidance. It was previously reported that AWC sensory neurons regulate attraction to diluted isoamyl alcohol and are activated by the removal of isoamyl alcohol. Using calcium imaging, we showed that AWB olfactory neurons and ASH polymodal neurons, which are both known to mediate an avoidance behavior, respond to the removal and addition of isoamyl alcohol, respectively. Recently, we reported that worms employ two strategies (the pirouette and weathervane strategies) for efficient chemotaxis. To investigate the behavioral mechanisms of avoidance of isoamyl alcohol at the high concentration, we analyzed this behavior by using multi-worm tracking system. The avoidance behavior was mainly regulated by the pirouette mechanism. Interestingly, the weathervane mechanism was employed to curve toward isoamyl alcohol. Computer simulation showed that behaviors of model animals using both strategies are quantitatively similar to those of real worms.


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