TMC-1 attenuates C. elegans development and sexual behaviour in a chemically defined food environment

Liusuo Zhang, Daisy G. Gualberto, Xiaoyan Guo, Paola Correa, Changhoon Jee and L. Rene Garcia ()
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Liusuo Zhang: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Texas A&M University
Daisy G. Gualberto: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Texas A&M University
Xiaoyan Guo: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Texas A&M University
Paola Correa: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Texas A&M University
Changhoon Jee: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Texas A&M University
L. Rene Garcia: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Texas A&M University

Nature Communications, 2015, vol. 6, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Abstract Although diet affects growth and behaviour, the adaptive mechanisms that coordinate these processes in non-optimal food sources are unclear. Here we show that the C. elegans tmc-1 channel, which is homologous to the mammalian tmc deafness genes, attenuates development and inhibits sexual behaviour in non-optimal food, the synthetic CeMM medium. In CeMM medium, signalling from the pharyngeal MC neurons and body wall muscles slows larval development. However, in the non-standard diet, mutation in tmc-1 accelerates development, by impairing the excitability of these cells. The tmc-1 larva can immediately generate ATP when fed CeMM, and their fast development requires insulin signalling. Our findings suggest that the tmc-1 channel indirectly affects metabolism in wild-type animals. In addition to regulating the development, we show that mutating tmc-1 can relax diet-induced inhibition of male sexual behaviour, thus indicating that a single regulator can be genetically modified to promote growth rate and reproductive success in new environments.

Date: 2015
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms7345

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