AWC mediated behavioral plasticity inC. elegansagainstSalmonellaTyphimurium infection

Abstract

AbstractSoil-dwelling nematodeCaenorhabditis elegans(C. elegans) is widely found in close vicinity with different types of microbes, including bacteria, fungus, viruses, etc. However, sensing environmental stress, they often undergo a dormant state called dauer for better survival. Our current study aims to decipher chemosensory responses of worms underSalmonellaTyphimurium (WT-STM) infection and how bacterial gene modulating worms’ chemosensory system to mediate dauer larvae development. We initially observed the olfactory preference ofC. eleganstoward the pathogenic WT-STM. Although prolonged exposure showed enhanced lawn occupancy of worms infepBmutantSalmonellastrain with better associative learning response compared to WT-STM counterpart. We also found strong participation of AWC neuron for sensing ΔfepBstrain and mediating worms’ behavioral plasticity. Overall out study implying a relationship between chemosensory neurons and bacteria emitted signals alter worms’ behavioral plasticity which help us to understand complex scenario of host-pathogen interaction.