Genetic variation affecting experience-dependent plasticity of behavioral decisions
Starting from a collection of C. elegans mutants with impaired avoidance of oxygen and carbon dioxide, I discovered by genetic mapping and genome sequencing a mutation in a conserved dendritic scaffold protein that disrupts the plasticity of behavioral responses to these ambient stimuli. The identified protein, homologous to the family of ankyrin proteins in mammalian nervous systems, modulates escape from aversive gas stimuli according to previous experience. In collaboration with scientists in France, we found that this gene underlies variation in the experience-dependent plasticity of C. elegans behavior.
Cellular compartmentalization in the control of sensory responsiveness
Expression and cell-specific rescue studies showed that the identified ankyrin-like protein regulates plasticity of the tonic gas-sensing circuit directly at the level of sensory neurons. In these neurons, the molecular scaffold localized to the sensory endings that detect gas stimuli from the environment. Using biochemical approaches, I looked for its interaction partners and found it localizes core-signaling components of the gas-sensing machinery to sensory cilia. This finding highlights the functional importance of cellular compartmentalization for the dynamics of neural and behavioral responses.
Together with researchers from the US, we also discovered a role for a conserved MAPK signaling pathway in regulating the growth and morphology of dendritic endings in adult C. elegans neurons. The kinase localizes at the sensory endings where it constrains growth of a dendritic compartment, indicating another role for cellular compartmentalization in shaping neurons.
Neuropeptide-mediated plasticity and cross-modulation of behaviors
To understand how the identified protein of the ankyrin family affects the activity and output of the tonic circuit, I used tools to monitor calcium activity and gene expression. Interestingly, the scaffold protein altered expression of neuropeptide messengers required for the experience-dependent plasticity of behavior, while calcium activity in the circuit was unaffected.
In collaboration with another C. elegans group at the LMB institute, we identified a neuropeptide pathway that drives cross-modal sensitization in arousal. Taken together, these works underscore an important role of neuropeptide pathways in the experience-dependent crossmodulation of sensory responses.
