C. elegans behavior, fitness, and lifespan, are modulated by AWB/ASH-dependent death perception.

Autor: Hernandez-Lima MA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.; Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA., Seo B; College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA., Urban ND; Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.; Graduate Program in Molecular & Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA., Truttmann MC; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.; Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.; Graduate Program in Molecular & Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.; Geriatrics Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: BioRxiv : the preprint server for biology [bioRxiv] 2024 Oct 09. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Oct 09.
DOI: 10.1101/2024.10.07.617097
Abstrakt: The ability of the nervous system to initiate intricate goal-directed behaviors in response to environmental stimuli is essential for metazoan survival. In this study, we demonstrate that the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans perceives and reacts to dead conspecifics. The exposure to C. elegans corpses as well as corpse lysates activates sensory neurons AWB and ASH, triggering a glutamate- and acetylcholine-dependent signaling cascade that regulates both immediate (aversion) and long-term (survival) responses to the presence of a death signature. We identify increased adenosine monophosphate (AMP) and cysteine concentrations as chemical fingerprints for the presence of metazoan corpses and show that death cue sensing by AWB and ASH leads to physiological changes which promote reproduction at the expense of lifespan. Our findings illuminate a novel signaling paradigm that allows organisms to detect and interpret the environmental enrichment of intracellular metabolites as a death cue.
Competing Interests: Declaration of interest The authors declare no competing interests.
Databáze: MEDLINE