title: Food Search Strategy Changes in Caenorhabditis elegans under Chronic Starvation Conditions.
abstract: Starvation is a primary threat to survival in nature. This study investigated the effects of starvation on animal behavior and neural function using a nematode model. Nematodes exhibit chemotactic responses to various compounds, including diacetyl produced by food bacteria. Locomotion, chemotactic behavior, and olfactory adaptation were measured following chronic starvation. Our results revealed a starvation-dependent reduction in locomotor activity. Chemotaxis response to the odorant diacetyl was attenuated after 2-38 hr of starvation. However, chemotactic behavior increased significantly after 48 hr of starvation compared with that after 38 hr of starvation, suggesting that food search behavior was enhanced after 48 hr of starvation. Inhibition of diacetyl adaptation was observed in the nematodes after 48 hr of starvation. However, exogenous exposure to serotonin during 48 hr of starvation caused the inhibition of diacetyl adaptation to be attenuated in following 24 hr period of normal feeding.Therefore, the inhibitory effects of starvation on olfactory adaptation may reduce chemotaxis response to the odorant diacetyl in a manner mediated by serotonin.
authors.affiliation: Division of Thermo-Biosystem Relations, United Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Iwate University, Morioka, Japan.|Department of Biophysics, Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Takuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Urushihata
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics, Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba, Japan. takuwa@nirs.go.jp.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takuwa
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics, Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Asuka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nishino
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biosciences, Faculty of Engineering, Iwate University, Morioka, Japan.
authors.forename: Aki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biosciences, Faculty of Engineering, Iwate University, Morioka, Japan.
authors.forename: Akiyoshi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ichijo
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biosciences, Faculty of Engineering, Iwate University, Morioka, Japan.
authors.forename: Chie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Obara
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biosciences, Faculty of Engineering, Iwate University, Morioka, Japan.
authors.forename: Tokumitsu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wakabayashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biosciences, Faculty of Engineering, Iwate University, Morioka, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sakata
authors.affiliation: Division of Thermo-Biosystem Relations, United Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Iwate University, Morioka, Japan.|Department of Biophysics, Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba, Japan.|Department of Chemistry and Biosciences, Faculty of Engineering, Iwate University, Morioka, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsuura
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D002633:Chemotaxis; D003931:Diacetyl; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005502:Food; D013217:Starvation
chemical_list: D003931:Diacetyl