DOI: 10.1002/jez.1402530305. Effects of starvation and neuroactive drugs on feeding in <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i>

Effects of starvation and neuroactive drugs on feeding in Caenorhabditis elegans

10.1002/jez.1402530305

Crossref journal-article

Wiley

Journal of Experimental Zoology (311)

Abstract

AbstractCaenorhabditis elegans concentrates its food, bacteria, by pharyngeal pumping. The rate of pumping is affected by the presence of bacteria. Using a new assay that allows measurement of pumping rate in a population of worms suspended in liquid by measuring their uptake of microscopic iron particles, we have confirmed and quantitated this effect. Furthermore, we demonstrated that starvation stimulates pumping. Worms that had been deprived of bacteria for more than 4 hours pumped in the absence of bacteria under conditions in which well‐fed worms did not. Furthermore, starved worms responded to lower amounts of bacteria than did fed worms.The assay was also useful for measuring effects of drugs on pumping. Of about 30 chemicals screened, 5 had clear effects. The neurotransmitter serotonin and the serotonin uptake inhibitor imipramine stimulated pumping, while the serotonin antagonist gramine inhibits. Imipramine stimulation is greatly decreased in cat‐1 and cat‐4 mutants, which have low levels of serotonin. Muscimol, an agonist for the neurotransmitter GABA, and ivermectin, whose site of action may also be the GABA receptor, both inhibit pumping. Qualitative observations suggested a role for acetylcholine in the regulation of pumping.

Bibliography

Avery, L., & Horvitz, H. R. (1990). Effects of starvation and neuroactive drugs on feeding in Caenorhabditis elegans. Journal of Experimental Zoology, 253(3), 263â270. Portico.

Authors 2

Leon Avery (first)
H. Robert Horvitz (additional)

References 30 Referenced 303

10.1098/rstb.1976.0085 / Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. Ser. B / The pharynx of Caenorhabditis elegans by Albertson D. G. (1976)
10.1093/genetics/77.1.71
{'key': 'e_1_2_1_4_1', 'first-page': '50', 'volume-title': 'Neuropharmacology of Serotonin', 'author': 'Briley M.', 'year': '1975'} / Neuropharmacology of Serotonin by Briley M. (1975)
10.1016/0012-1606(75)90109-8
10.1523/JNEUROSCI.05-04-00956.1985
10.1139/z75-103
10.1111/j.1469-7998.1978.tb03304.x
10.1038/336638a0
10.1093/genetics/121.4.703 / Genetics / Celegans mutants defective in the functioning of the motor neurons responsible for egg laying by Desai C. (1989)
10.1163/187529262X00125
10.1016/0014-2999(84)90133-X
10.1242/jeb.73.1.235 / J. Exp. Biol. / The identification of an oc‐topaminergic neuron and the modulation of a myogenic rhythm in the locust by Evans P. (1978)
10.1007/BF00425528
10.1126/science.6805073
10.1073/pnas.77.10.6211
10.1093/genetics/95.4.905
10.1523/JNEUROSCI.07-10-03059.1987
{'key': 'e_1_2_1_19_1', 'first-page': '185', 'article-title': 'The levamisole receptor, a cholinergic receptor of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans', 'volume': '31', 'author': 'Lewis J. A.', 'year': '1987', 'journal-title': 'Mol. Pharmacol.'} / Mol. Pharmacol. / The levamisole receptor, a cholinergic receptor of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans by Lewis J. A. (1987)
10.1039/tf9373301062
10.1097/00000542-198506000-00007
10.1093/genetics/106.2.227 / Genetics / Choline acetyltransfer‐ase‐deficient mutants of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans by Rand J. B. (1984)
10.1093/genetics/122.1.73 / Genetics / Genetic analysis of the cha‐1/unc‐17 gene complex in Caenorhabditis by Rand J. B. (1989)
10.1093/genetics/118.1.61 / Genetics / A Caenorhabditis elegans RNA polymerase II gene, ama‐1 IV, and nearby essential genes by Rogalski T. M. (1988)
10.1111/j.1469-7998.1983.tb05074.x
10.1163/187529278X00074
{'key': 'e_1_2_1_27_1', 'volume-title': 'Biometry', 'author': 'Sokal R. R.', 'year': '1981'} / Biometry by Sokal R. R. (1981)
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10.1002/cne.901630207
{'key': 'e_1_2_1_30_1', 'first-page': '587', 'volume-title': 'The Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans', 'author': 'Sulston J. E.', 'year': '1988'} / The Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans by Sulston J. E. (1988)
10.1098/rstb.1986.0056

Dates

Type	When
Created	20 years, 2 months ago (June 11, 2005, 2:46 a.m.)
Deposited	1 year, 10 months ago (Oct. 22, 2023, 3:27 p.m.)
Indexed	3 days, 8 hours ago (Aug. 23, 2025, 1:01 a.m.)
Issued	35 years, 5 months ago (March 1, 1990)
Published	35 years, 5 months ago (March 1, 1990)
Published Online	20 years, 3 months ago (May 10, 2005)
Published Print	35 years, 5 months ago (March 1, 1990)

Funders 0

None

BibTeX

@article{Avery_1990, title={Effects of starvation and neuroactive drugs on feeding in Caenorhabditis elegans}, volume={253}, ISSN={1097-010X}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jez.1402530305}, DOI={10.1002/jez.1402530305}, number={3}, journal={Journal of Experimental Zoology}, publisher={Wiley}, author={Avery, Leon and Horvitz, H. Robert}, year={1990}, month=mar, pages={263–270} }

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