AWC mediated behavioral plasticity in C. elegans against Salmonella Typhimurium infection

Abstract

Soil-dwelling nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is widely found in close vicinity with different types of microbes, including bacteria, fungus, viruses, etc. However, sensing environmental stress, they often undergo a dormant state called dauer for better survival. Our current study aims to decipher chemosensory responses of worms under Salmonella Typhimurium (WT-STM) infection and how bacterial gene modulating worms chemosensory system to mediate dauer larvae development. We initially observed the olfactory preference of C. elegans toward the pathogenic WT-STM. Although prolonged exposure showed enhanced lawn occupancy of worms in fepB mutant Salmonella strain with better associative learning response compared to WT-STM counterpart. We also found strong participation of AWC neuron for sensing {Delta}fepB strain and mediating worms behavioral plasticity. Overall out study implying a relationship between chemosensory neurons and bacteria emitted signals alter worms behavioral plasticity which help us to understand complex scenario of host-pathogen interaction.