title: Neuropeptide receptors NPR-1 and NPR-2 regulate Caenorhabditis elegans avoidance response to the plant stress hormone methyl salicylate.
abstract: Methyl salicylate (MeSa) is a stress hormone released by plants under attack by pathogens or herbivores . MeSa has been shown to attract predatory insects of herbivores and repel pests. The molecules and neurons underlying animal response to MeSa are not known. Here we found that the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans exhibits a strong avoidance response to MeSa, which requires the activities of two closely related neuropeptide receptors NPR-1 and NPR-2. Molecular analyses suggest that NPR-1 expressed in the RMG inter/motor neurons is required for MeSa avoidance. An NPR-1 ligand FLP-18 is also required. Using a rescuing npr-2 promoter to drive a GFP transgene, we identified that NPR-2 is expressed in multiple sensory and interneurons. Genetic rescue experiments suggest that NPR-2 expressed in the AIZ interneurons is required for MeSa avoidance. We also provide evidence that the AWB sensory neurons might act upstream of RMGs and AIZs to detect MeSa. Our results suggest that NPR-2 has an important role in regulating animal behavior and that NPR-1 and NPR-2 act on distinct interneurons to affect C. elegans avoidance response to MeSa.
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences.
authors.forename: Jintao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences.
authors.forename: Zhaofa
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Clinical Center for Gene Diagnosis and Therapy of the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China, 410008.
authors.forename: Zhiping
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences.
authors.forename: Zhuohua
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences malong@sklmg.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Long
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3925-9154
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D007395:Interneurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012459:Salicylates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D013312:Stress, Physiological
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators; D012459:Salicylates; C033069:methyl salicylate
keywords: C. elegans; interneuron; methyl salicylate; npr-1; npr-2