title: cGMP Signalling Mediates Water Sensation (Hydrosensation) and Hydrotaxis in Caenorhabditis elegans.
abstract: Animals have developed the ability to sense the water content in their habitats, including hygrosensation (sensing humidity in the air) and hydrosensation (sensing the water content in other microenvironments), and they display preferences for specific water contents that influence their mating, reproduction and geographic distribution. We developed and employed four quantitative behavioural test paradigms to investigate the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying sensing the water content in an agar substrate (hydrosensation) and hydrotaxis in Caenorhabditis elegans. By combining a reverse genetic screen with genetic manipulation, optogenetic neuronal manipulation and in vivo Ca(2+) imaging, we demonstrate that adult worms avoid the wetter areas of agar plates and hypo-osmotic water droplets. We found that the cGMP signalling pathway in ciliated sensory neurons is involved in hydrosensation and hydrotaxis in Caenorhabditis elegans.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, and Department of Biophysics and Molecular Physiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, and Department of Biophysics and Molecular Physiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Li-Wei
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, and Department of Biophysics and Molecular Physiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Tai-Hong
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, and Department of Biophysics and Molecular Physiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Chang-Li
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, and Department of Biophysics and Molecular Physiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Ya-Qian
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, and Department of Biophysics and Molecular Physiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, and Department of Biophysics and Molecular Physiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yan-Xue
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, and Department of Biophysics and Molecular Physiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yuan-Hua
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, and Department of Biophysics and Molecular Physiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Ming-Hai
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, and Department of Biophysics and Molecular Physiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jing-Jing
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, and Department of Biophysics and Molecular Physiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, and Department of Biophysics and Molecular Physiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, and Department of Biophysics and Molecular Physiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Chun-Ming
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, and Department of Biophysics and Molecular Physiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Lan-Lan
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, and Department of Biophysics and Molecular Physiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, and Department of Biophysics and Molecular Physiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Zhao-Yu
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, and Department of Biophysics and Molecular Physiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Zheng-Xing
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000502:physiology*; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000378:metabolism*; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000378:metabolism; D012677:Sensation; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D014867:Water; D006152:Cyclic GMP