title: DBL-1, a TGF-β, is essential for Caenorhabditis elegans aversive olfactory learning.
abstract: The TGF-β superfamily is conserved throughout metazoan, and its members play essential roles in development and disease. TGF-β has also been implicated in adult neural plasticity. However, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Here we report that DBL-1, a Caenorhabditis elegans TGF-β homolog known to control body morphology and immunity, is essential for aversive olfactory learning of potentially harmful bacteria food. We show that DBL-1 generated by the AVA command interneurons, which are critical for sensorimotor responses, regulates aversive olfactory learning, and that the activity of the type I TGF-β receptor SMA-6 in the hypodermis is needed during adulthood to generate olfactory plasticity. These spatial and temporal mechanisms are critical for the DBL-1 signaling to achieve its diverse functions in development and adult neural plasticity. Interestingly, aversive training decreases AVA calcium response, leading to an increase in the DBL-1 signal secreted from AVA, revealing an experience-dependent change that can underlie the role of TGF-β signaling in mediating plasticity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
authors.forename: Xiaodong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000502:physiology*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D007395:Interneurons / Q000378:metabolism; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; C117509:Dbl-1 protein, C elegans; D009479:Neuropeptides; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; C117510:SMA-6 protein, C elegans; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta