Name: a molecular readout of long-term olfactory adaptation in c. elegans
Uploaded: 2012-12-22T14:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about A Molecular Readout of Long-term Olfactory Adaptation in C. elegans at JoVE.com

We would like to thank Scott Hamilton, and members of the O'Halloran lab for careful reading of this manuscript. We also thank our anonymous reviewer for excellent suggestions and insightful comments.

1. Construction of GFP Tagged EGL-4 Expressing Animals
<ol>
	<li>Clone the translational fusion GFP::EGL-4 under the promoter for the odr-3 gene (use 2678 bp directly upstream of the start codon): (p)odr-3::GFP::EGL-4. The odr-3 promoter drives expression in the amphid neuron pairs: AWA; AWB; AWC; and weakly in ASH.</li>
	<li>Inject the plasmid (p)odr-3::GFP::EGL-4 into wildtype (N2) animals at 50 ng/&mu;l with the co-injection markers using standard germ-line transformation techniqu...

<ol>
	<li>Colbert, H. A., Bargmann, C. I. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Odorant-specific+adaptation+pathways+generate+olfactory+plasticity+in+C.+elegans.">Odorant-specific adaptation pathways generate olfactory plasticity in C. elegans.</a> Neuron. 14 (4), 803 (1995).</li><li>Colbert, H. A., Bargmann, C. I. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Environmental+signals+modulate+olfactory+acuity,+discrimination,+and+memory+in+Caenorhabditis+elegans.">Environmental signals modulate olfactory acuity, discrimination, and memory in Caenorhabditis elegans.</a> Learning and Memory. 4 (2), 179 (1997).</li><li>Bargmann, C. 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M., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Changes+in+cGMP+levels+affect+the+localization+of+EGL-4+in+AWC+in+Caenorhabditis+elegans.">Changes in cGMP levels affect the localization of EGL-4 in AWC in Caenorhabditis elegans.</a> PLoS ONE. 7 (2), e31614 (2012).</li><li>Mello, C. 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I. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Olfaction+and+odor+discrimination+are+mediated+by+the+C.+elegans+guanylyl+cyclase+ODR-1.">Olfaction and odor discrimination are mediated by the C. elegans guanylyl cyclase ODR-1.</a> Neuron. 25 (3), 575 (2000).</li><li>Mello, C., Fire, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=DNA+transformation.">DNA transformation.</a> Methods Cell Biol. 48, 451 (1995).</li><li>Stiernagle, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Maintenance+of+C.+elegans.">Maintenance of C. elegans.</a> Wormbook. , (2006).</li><li>Brenner, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+genetics+of+Caenorhabditis+elegans.">The genetics of Caenorhabditis elegans.</a> Genetics. 77 (1), 71 (1974).</li><li>Kauffman, A., Parsons, L., Stein, G., Wills, A., Kaletsky, R., Murphy, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=C.+elegans+Positive+Butanone+Learning,+Short-term,+and+Long-term+Associative+Memory+Assays.">C. elegans Positive Butanone Learning, Short-term, and Long-term Associative Memory Assays.</a> J. Vis. Exp. (49), e2490 (2011).</li><li>Berkowitz, L. A., Hamamichi, S., Knight, A. L., Harrington, A. J., Caldwell, G. A., Caldwell, K. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Application+of+a+C.+elegans+Dopamine+Neuron+Degeneration+Assay+for+the+Validation+of+Potential+Parkinson's+Disease+Genes.">Application of a C. elegans Dopamine Neuron Degeneration Assay for the Validation of Potential Parkinson's Disease Genes.</a> J. Vis. Exp. (17), e835 (2008).</li><li>Pittenger, C., Kandel, E. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=In+search+of+general+mechanisms+for+long-lasting+plasticity:+Aplysia+and+the+hippocampus.">In search of general mechanisms for long-lasting plasticity: Aplysia and the hippocampus.</a> Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B. Biol. Sci. 358 (1432), 757 (2003).</li></ol>

The odor-induced nuclear entry of a GFP-tagged EGL-4 molecule described here provides a robust molecular readout of olfactory adaptation in C. elegans. The odor-induced nuclear translocation assays are straightforward and require only a few days of preparation time. The pyIs500 animal that we have constructed for these assays, expresses a marker that illuminates the AWC neuron as well as expressing the GFP-tagged EGL-4 protein. Thus, we feel that an experimenter with little to no experience working with...

<table border="1">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Name of the reagent</td>
			<td>Company</td>
			<td>Catalogue number</td>
			<td>Comments </td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Bacto Agar</td>
			<td>Difco</td>
			<td>DF0140-07-4</td>
			<td>NGM plates</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sodium Chloride</td>
			<td>Fisher Chemical</td>
			<td>S671-10</td>
			<td>NGM plates</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Bacto Peptone</td>
			<td>Difco</td>
			<td>DF0118-07-2</td>
			<td>NGM plates</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Potassium Phosphate Dibasic</td>
			<td>Fisher Chemical</td>
			<td>S375-500</td>
			<td>S-Basal buffer and NGM plates</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Potassium Phosphate Monobasic</td>
			<td>Fisher Chemical</td>
			<td>P285-500</td>
			<td>S-Basal buffer and NGM plates</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Kimwipes - Small</td>
			<td>Kimberly-Clark</td>
			<td>LS2770</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ethanol 100%</td>
			<td>Gold Shield Chemical Co.</td>
			<td>43196-115</td>
			<td>diluting odors for chemotaxis assays</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Calcium Chloride</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>C8106-500G</td>
			<td>NGM plates</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Magnesium Sulphate</td>
			<td>MP Biomedicals</td>
			<td>150136-500G</td>
			<td>NGM plates</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sodium Azide 99%</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>ICN10289180</td>
			<td>Anesthetic</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Agarose - UltraPure</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>16500-500</td>
			<td>Agarose pads</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Benzaldehyde</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>B1334-100G</td>
			<td>AWC odor</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Butanone, ACS Grade</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>360473-500ML</td>
			<td>AWC odor</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Microcentrifuge Tubes - 1.5 ml Colored</td>
			<td>Denville</td>
			<td>LS8147</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Pasteur Pipet Disposable Glass 5-3/4"</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>13-678-20B</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Stratalinker</td>
			<td>Stratagene</td>
			<td>Stratalinker 2400</td>
			<td>UV integration</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Filter Vacuum Bottle - 500 ml</td>
			<td>Nalgene</td>
			<td>09-740-25B</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

a molecular readout of long-term olfactory adaptation in c. elegans

During sustained stimulation most sensory neurons will adapt their response by decreasing their sensitivity to the signal. The adaptation response helps shape attention and also protects cells from over-stimulation. Adaptation within the olfactory circuit of C. elegans was first described by Colbert and Bargmann1,2. Here, the authors defined parameters of the olfactory adaptation paradigm, which they used to design a genetic screen to isolate mutants defective in their ability to adapt to volatile odors sensed by the Amphid Wing cells type C (AWC) sensory neurons. When wildtype C. elegans animals are exposed to an attractive AWC-sensed odor3 for 30 min they will adapt their responsiveness to the odor and will then ignore the adapting odor in a chemotaxis behavioral assay for ~1 hr. When wildtype C. elegans animals are exposed to an attractive AWC-sensed odor for ~1 hr they will then ignore the adapting odor in a chemotaxis behavioral assay for ~3 hr. These two phases of olfactory adaptation in C. elegans were described as short-term olfactory adaptation (induced after 30 min odor exposure), and long-term olfactory adaptation (induced after 60 min odor exposure). Later work from L'Etoile et al.,4 uncovered a Protein Kinase G (PKG) called EGL-4 that is required for both the short-term and long-term olfactory adaptation in AWC neurons. The EGL-4 protein contains a nuclear localization sequence that is necessary for long-term olfactory adaptation responses but dispensable for short-term olfactory adaptation responses in the AWC4. By tagging EGL-4 with a green fluorescent protein, it was possible to visualize the localization of EGL-4 in the AWC during prolonged odor exposure. Using this fully functional GFP-tagged EGL-4 (GFP::EGL-4) molecule we have been able to develop a molecular readout of long-term olfactory adaptation in the AWC5. Using this molecular readout of olfactory adaptation we have been able to perform both forward and reverse genetic screens to identify mutant animals that exhibit defective subcellular localization patterns of GFP::EGL-4 in the AWC6,7. Here we describe: 1) the construction of GFP::EGL-4 expressing animals; 2) the protocol for cultivation of animals for long-term odor-induced nuclear translocation assays; and 3) the scoring of the long-term odor-induced nuclear translocation event and recovery (re-sensitization) from the nuclear GFP::EGL-4 state.

An example of the localization pattern of GFP::EGL-4in the AWC before and after prolonged odor exposure is shown in Figure 2. Prior to prolonged odor exposure, GFP::EGL-4 is localized to the cytosol of the AWC (Figure 2B), and after 80 min odor exposure GFP::EGL-4 is localized to the nucleus of the AWC (Figure 2D). At the behavioral level, animals with cytosolic GFP::EGL-4 in AWC are attracted to a point source of odor (Figure 2C graphs representative re...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about A Molecular Readout of Long-term Olfactory Adaptation in C. elegans at JoVE.com

A Molecular Readout of Long-term Olfactory Adaptation in C. elegans

Here we describe a molecular readout of long-term olfactory adaptation in Caenorhabditis elegans. The Protein Kinase G, EGL-4, is necessary for stable adaptation responses in the primary sensory neuron pair called AWC. During prolonged odor exposure EGL-4 translocates from the cytosol to nucleus of the AWC.

A Molecular Readout of Long-term Olfactory Adaptation in C. elegans

During sustained stimulation most sensory neurons will adapt their response by decreasing their sensitivity to the signal. The adaptation response helps ...

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