Premium
Identification of the AFD neuron as the site of action of the CREB protein in Caenorhabditis elegans thermotaxis
Author(s) -
Nishida Yukuo,
Sugi Takuma,
omura Mayu,
Mori Ikue
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
embo reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.584
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1469-3178
pISSN - 1469-221X
DOI - 10.1038/embor.2011.120
Subject(s) - creb , caenorhabditis elegans , neuroscience , biology , neuron , biological neural network , mutant , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , transcription factor , gene
Behaviour is a consequence of computation in neural circuits composed of massive synaptic connections among sensory neurons and interneurons. The cyclic AMP response element‐binding protein (CREB) responsible for learning and memory is expressed in almost all neurons. Nevertheless, we find that the Caenorhabditis elegans CREB orthologue, CRH‐1, is only required in the single bilateral thermosensory neuron AFD, for a memory‐related behaviour. Restoration of CRH‐1 in AFD of CREB‐depleted crh‐1 mutants rescues its thermotactic defect, whereas restorations in other neurons do not. In calcium‐imaging analyses, the AFD neurons of CREB‐depleted crh‐1 mutants exhibit an abnormal response to temperature increase. We present a new platform for analysing the mechanism of behavioural memory at single‐cellular resolution within the neural circuit.