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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Chemistry Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #239286
Title: Neuronal regulation of ascaroside response during mate response behavior in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Author
item SRINIVASAN, JAGAN - California Institute Of Technology
item Kaplan, Fatma
item PUNGALIYA, CHIRAG - Cornell University
item EDISON, ARTHUR - University Of Florida
item SCHROEDER, FRANK - Cornell University
item STERNBERG, PAUL - California Institute Of Technology

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/26/2009
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: N/A

Technical Abstract: Small-molecule signaling plays an important role in the biology of Caenorhabditis elegans. We have previously shown that ascarosides, glycosides of the dideoxysugar ascarylose regulate both development and behavior in C. elegans The mating signal consists of a synergistic blend of three dauer-inducing ascarosides, ascr#2, ascr#3, and ascr#4. The ascarosides ascr#2 and ascr#3 carry different though overlapping information, as ascr#3 is more potent as a male attractant than ascr#2, whereas ascr#2 is slightly more potent than ascr#3 in promoting dauer formation. Using differential analysis (DANS) of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra , we have now identified additional ascarosides in the C. elegans metabolome. Biological testing of synthetic samples of these compounds revealed additional evidence for synergy and provided insights into structure–activity relationships. Two types of neurons, the ASK neurons and the male-specific CEM neurons, are required for male attraction by ascr#3. We are currently testing genetic mutants for their response to the new ascarosides discovered using DANS and data would be presented at the meeting.