CGC Bibliography Paper 3151

Control of alternative behavioral states by serotonin in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Waggoner LE, Zhou GT, Schafer RW, Schafer WR

Medline:

98361329

Citation:

Neuron 21: 203-214 1998

Type:

ARTICLE

Genes:

bas-1 cat-4 cha-1 daf-7 egl-1 egl-3 egl-4 egl-7 egl-10 egl-11 egl-12 egl-19 egl-21 egl-24 egl-30 mab-5 tpa-1

Abstract:

Serotonin has been implicated in the regulation of a wide range of brain functions involving alternative behavioral states, including the control of mood, aggression, sex, and sleep. Here, we report that in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, serotonin controls a switch between two distinct, on/off states of egg-laying behavior. Through quantitative analysis of the temporal pattern of egg-laying events, we determined that egg laying can be modeled as a novel random process, in which animals fluctuate between discrete behavioral states: an active state, during which eggs are laid in clusters, and an inactive state, during which eggs are retained. Single-cell ablation experiments indicate that two pairs of motor neurons, HSNL/HSNR and VC4/VC5, can induce the active phase by releasing serotonin. These neurons also release acetylcholine, which appears to trigger individual egg-laying events within the active phase. Genetic experiments suggest that determination of the behavioral states observed for C. elegans egg laying may be mediated through protein kinase C-dependent (PKC-dependent) modulation of voltage-gated calcium