CGC Bibliography Paper 3187

Natural variation in a neuropeptide Y receptor homolog modifies social behavior and food response in C. elegans.

de Bono M, Bargmann CI

Medline:

98412663

Citation:

Cell 94: 679-689 1998

Type:

ARTICLE

Genes:

goa-1 npr-1 npr-2 unc-25 unc-29 syDf1

Abstract:

Natural isolates of C. elegans exhibit either solitary or social feeding behavior. Solitary foragers move slowly on a bacterial lawn and disperse across it,while social foragers move rapidly on bacteria and aggregate together. A loss-of-function mutation in the npr-1 gene, which encodes a predicted G protein-coupled receptor similar to neuropeptide Y receptors, causes a solitary strain to take on social behavior. Two isoforms of NPR-1 that differ at a single residue occur in the wild. One isoform, NPR-1 215F, is found exclusively in social strains, while the other isoform, NPR-1 215V, is found exclusively in solitary strains. An NPR-1 215V transgene can induce solitary feeding behavior in a wild social strain. Thus, isoforms of a putative neuropeptide receptor generate natural variation in C. elegans feeding behavior.