Insulin-like signaling and the neural circuit for integrative behavior in C. elegans

Genes Dev. 2006 Nov 1;20(21):2955-60. doi: 10.1101/gad.1479906.

Abstract

Caenorhabditis elegans exhibits a food-associated behavior that is modulated by the past cultivation temperature. Mutations in INS-1, the homolog of human insulin, caused the defect in this integrative behavior. Mutations in DAF-2/insulin receptor and AGE-1/phosphatidylinositol 3 (PI-3)-kinase partially suppressed the defect of ins-1 mutants, and a mutation in DAF-16, a forkhead-type transcriptional factor, caused a weak defect. In addition, mutations in the secretory protein HEN-1 showed synergistic effects with INS-1. Expression of AGE-1 in any of the three interneurons, AIY, AIZ, or RIA, rescued the defect characteristic of age-1 mutants. Calcium imaging revealed that starvation induced INS-1-mediated down-regulation of AIZ activity. Our results suggest that INS-1, in cooperation with HEN-1, antagonizes the DAF-2 insulin-like signaling pathway to modulate interneuron activity required for food-associated integrative behavior.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / genetics
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / physiology*
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / genetics
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / metabolism*
  • Feeding Behavior*
  • Insulin / genetics
  • Insulin / metabolism*
  • Mutation
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / genetics
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / metabolism*
  • Neurons / physiology*
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / genetics
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / metabolism
  • Receptor, Insulin / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Receptor, Insulin / genetics
  • Signal Transduction
  • Suppression, Genetic
  • Temperature

Substances

  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
  • HEN-1 protein, C elegans
  • Insulin
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • ins-1 protein, C elegans
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases
  • AGE-1 protein, C elegans
  • DAF-2 protein, C elegans
  • Receptor, Insulin