An optogenetic assay for the dauer decision in Caenorhabditis elegans

Abstract

The dauer decision in Caenorhabditis elegans is a critical developmental decision that ensures survival under harsh environmental conditions. Factors such as temperature, food availability, and pheromone strongly influence the decision to enter and exit dauer. Traditional assays that assess the dauer decision are often confounded by the influence of pheromones from the population, which are often dynamic and highly variable. To mitigate this issue, we developed a simple, single-housing assay for dauer quantification that is compatible with optogenetics. We show that insulin-like peptides (ILPs) from ASJ and other neurons strongly influence the decision to exit dauer, and that ASJ activity can be manipulated with optogenetics to influence the dauer decision in a temporally precise manner.