Molecular and cellular modulators for multisensory integration in C. elegans
Fig 2
Several sensory neurons modulate 2-nonanone-dependent food leaving.
(A-D) The transgenic animals that either lack the functional AWB sensory neurons by selectively expressing the gain-of-function isoform of an amiloride-sensitive sodium channel MEC-4 (A, pAWB::mec-4(d), n = 5 assays each) or lack the ASI sensory neurons by expressing a cell death promoting molecule caspase (B, pASI::caspase, n = 7 assays for wild type and 8 assays for the transgenic animals) or are defective in the synaptic transmission of the ADL sensory neurons by expressing the tetanus toxin (D, pADL::TeTx, n = 5 assays for wild type, 4 assays for the transgenic animals, and 3 assays for non-transgenic siblings) display a delayed decision to leave the OP50 lawn paired with 100% 2-nonanone; while the transgenic animals that express caspase in the ASK sensory neurons (C, pASK::caspase, n = 9 assays each) display a faster decision to leave. Each bar graph reports the average percentage of worms outside the lawn 15 minutes after the assay starts. Mean ± SEM, Student’s t-test, * p ≤ 0.05, ***p ≤ 0.001.