title: The olfactory signal transduction for attractive odorants in Caenorhabditis elegans.
abstract: Olfaction in Caenorhabditis elegans is a versatile and sensitive strategy to seek food and avoid danger by sensing volatile chemicals emitted by the targets. The ability to sense attractive odor is mainly accomplished by the AWA and AWC neurons. Previous studies have shown the components of the olfaction signal pathway in these two amphid chemosensory neurons, but integration of the individual signaling components requires further elucidation. Here we review the progresses in our understanding of signal pathways for attractive olfaction involving AWA and AWC neurons, and discuss how the different signal molecules might employ the common molecular cascades to transduce the olfactory system and guide behavior in each neuron.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, PR China; Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, PR China.
authors.forename: Chunmei
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, PR China; Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, PR China.
authors.forename: Jinyuan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, PR China; Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, PR China.
authors.forename: Yao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, PR China; Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, PR China.
authors.forename: Chunyan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, PR China; Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, PR China. Electronic address: kqzhang@ynu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Keqin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, PR China; Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, PR China. Electronic address: xwhuang@ynu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xiaowei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans; D002633:Chemotaxis; D009812:Odorants; D018035:Receptors, Odorant; D015398:Signal Transduction; D012903:Smell
chemical_list: D018035:Receptors, Odorant
keywords: C. elegans; Chemotaxis; Olfaction; Signal pathways