Open AccessIn Vivo Tactile Stimulation-Evoked Responses in Caenorhabditis elegans Amphid Sheath Glia
Author(s) -
Gang Ding,
Wenjuan Zou,
Hu Zhang,
Yi Xue,
Yuyan Cai,
GuiFang Huang,
Lufeng Chen,
Shumin Duan,
Lijun Kang
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0117114
Subject(s) - stimulation , mechanoreceptor , biology , in vivo , neuroscience , caenorhabditis elegans , electrophysiology , neuron , microbiology and biotechnology , nervous system , anatomy , biochemistry , gene
Glial cells are important components of the nervous system. However, how they respond to physiological stimuli in vivo remains largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the electrophysiological activities and Ca 2+ responses of the C. elegans amphid sheath glia (AMsh glia) to tactile stimulation in vivo . We recorded robust inward currents and Ca 2+ elevation in the AMsh cell with the delivery of tactile stimuli of varying displacements to the nose tip of the worm. Compared to the adjacent mechanoreceptor ASH neuron, the AMsh cell showed greater sensitivity to tactile stimulation. Amiloride, an epithelial Na + channel blocker, blocked the touch-induced currents and Ca 2+ signaling in the ASH neuron, but not those in the AMsh cell. Taken together, our results revealed that AMsh glial cells actively respond to in vivo tactile stimulation and likely function cell-autonomously as mechanoreceptors.