title: Caenorhabditis elegans selects distinct crawling and swimming gaits via dopamine and serotonin.
abstract: Many animals, including humans, select alternate forms of motion (gaits) to move efficiently in different environments. However, it is unclear whether primitive animals, such as nematodes, also use this strategy. We used a multifaceted approach to study how the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans freely moves into and out of water. We demonstrate that C. elegans uses biogenic amines to switch between distinct crawling and swimming gaits. Dopamine is necessary and sufficient to initiate and maintain crawling after swimming. Serotonin is necessary and sufficient to transition from crawling to swimming and to inhibit a set of crawl-specific behaviors. Further study of locomotory switching in C. elegans and its dependence on biogenic amines may provide insight into how gait transitions are performed in other animals.
authors.affiliation: Section of Neurobiology, Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
authors.forename: Andrés
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vidal-Gadea
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Topper
authors.forename: Layla
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: Ashley
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Crisp
authors.forename: Leah
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kressin
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Elbel
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maples
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brauner
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Erbguth
authors.forename: Abram
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Axelrod
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gottschalk
authors.forename: Dionicio
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Siegel
authors.forename: Jonathan T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Pierce-Shimomura
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000502:physiology*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology*; D059290:Dopaminergic Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology; D008124:Locomotion / Q000502:physiology*; D059326:Serotonergic Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D012701:Serotonin / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D013550:Swimming / Q000502:physiology; D014741:Video Recording; D014783:Viscosity; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D014867:Water; D012701:Serotonin; D004298:Dopamine