title: The Caenorhabditis elegans AHR-1 transcription complex controls expression of soluble guanylate cyclase genes in the URX neurons and regulates aggregation behavior.
abstract: C. elegans ahr-1 is orthologous to the mammalian aryl hydrocarbon receptor, and it functions as a transcription factor to regulate the development of certain neurons. Here, we describe the role of ahr-1 in a specific behavior: the aggregation of C. elegans on lawns of bacterial food. This behavior is modulated by nutritional cues and ambient oxygen levels, and aggregation is inhibited by the npr-1 G protein-coupled neuropeptide receptor gene. Loss-of-function mutations in ahr-1 or its transcription partner aha-1 (ARNT) suppress aggregation behavior in npr-1-deficient animals. This behavioral defect is not irreparable. Aggregation behavior can be restored to ahr-1-deficient animals by heat-shock induction of ahr-1 transcription several hours after ahr-1-expressing neurons have normally differentiated. We show that ahr-1 and aha-1 promote cell-type-specific expression of soluble guanylate cyclase genes that have key roles in aggregation behavior and hyperoxia avoidance. Aggregation behavior can be partially restored to ahr-1 mutant animals by expression of ahr-1 in only 4 neurons, including URXR and URXL. We conclude that the AHR-1:AHA-1 transcription complex regulates the expression of soluble guanylate cyclase genes and other unidentified genes that are essential for acute regulation of aggregation behavior.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology, 2108 Molecular Biology Building, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-3260, USA.
authors.forename: Hongtao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Zhiwei
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhai
authors.forename: Jo Anne
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Powell-Coffman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D002449:Cell Aggregation; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D006162:Guanylate Cyclase / Q000378:metabolism*; D018841:HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000502:physiology; D018336:Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D012995:Solubility; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; C510188:DAF-21 protein, C elegans; D018841:HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins; D018336:Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon; C484723:ahr-1 protein, C elegans; D006162:Guanylate Cyclase