title: Activity of the Caenorhabditis elegans UNC-86 POU transcription factor modulates olfactory sensitivity.
abstract: The activity of transcription factors modulates several neural pathways that mediate complex behaviors. We describe here the role of the POU transcription factor UNC-86 in the olfactory behavior of Caenorhabditis elegans. unc-86-null mutants are defective in response to odor attractants but avoid odor repellents normally. Continuous UNC-86 activity is necessary for maintenance of odortaxis behavior; hyperactivation of UNC-86 by fusion to a VP16 activation domain dramatically enhances sensitivity to odor attractants and promotes odor-attractant adaptation. UNC-86 is not expressed in olfactory sensory neurons but is expressed throughout the life of the animal in the AIZ interneurons of the odorsensory pathway. We suggest that UNC-86 transcriptional activity regulates the expression of genes that mediate synaptic properties of AIZ and that hyperactive UNC-86::VP16 may enhance the expression of synaptic components to affect the capacity to analyze and process sensory information.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
authors.forename: Ji Ying
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Sze
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ruvkun
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D019070:Cell Lineage; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D009154:Mutation; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009812:Odorants; D009833:Olfactory Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D050809:POU Domain Factors; D010802:Phylogeny; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D012903:Smell; D013997:Time Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D050809:POU Domain Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors; C081539:unc-86 protein, C elegans; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins