Specification of Thermosensory Neuron Fate in C. elegans Requires ttx-1, a Homolog of otd/Otx

• Published in: Neuron (Cambridge, Mass.) Mass.), 2001-09, Vol.31 (6), p.943-956
• Main Authors: Satterlee, John S., Sasakura, Hiroyuki, Kuhara, Atsushi, Berkeley, Maura, Mori, Ikue, Sengupta, Piali
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Animals, Genetically Modified; Behavior, Animal; Caenorhabditis elegans; Caenorhabditis elegans - cytology; Caenorhabditis elegans - genetics; Caenorhabditis elegans - physiology; Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; Cell Differentiation; Cell Lineage; Cilia - ultrastructure; Drosophila Proteins; Evolution, Molecular; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Genes, Helminth; Genes, Homeobox; Genetic Complementation Test; Helminth Proteins - chemistry; Helminth Proteins - genetics; Helminth Proteins - physiology; Homeodomain Proteins - chemistry; Homeodomain Proteins - genetics; Homeodomain Proteins - physiology; Mice; Molecular Sequence Data; Nerve Tissue Proteins - chemistry; Nerve Tissue Proteins - genetics; Nerve Tissue Proteins - physiology; Neurons, Afferent - cytology; Neurons, Afferent - physiology; Neuropeptides - genetics; Neuropeptides - physiology; Otx Transcription Factors; Phenotype; Photoreceptor Cells, Vertebrate - metabolism; Rats; Sequence Alignment; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; Signal Transduction - physiology; Species Specificity; Thermosensing - genetics; Thermosensing - physiology; ttx-1 gene; Vertebrates - genetics; Vertebrates - physiology
• ISSN: 0896-6273; 1097-4199
• DOI: 10.1016/S0896-6273(01)00431-7

Temperature is a critical modulator of animal metabolism and behavior, yet the mechanisms underlying the development and function of thermosensory neurons are poorly understood. C. elegans senses temperature using the AFD thermosensory neurons. Mutations in the gene ttx-1 affect AFD neuron function. Here, we show that ttx-1 regulates all differentiated characteristics of the AFD neurons. ttx-1 mutants are defective in a thermotactic behavior and exhibit deregulated thermosensory inputs into a neuroendocrine signaling pathway. ttx-1 encodes a member of the conserved OTD/OTX homeodomain protein family and is expressed in the AFD neurons. Misexpression of ttx-1 converts other sensory neurons to an AFD-like fate. Our results extend a previously noted conservation of developmental mechanisms between the thermosensory circuit in C. elegans and the vertebrate photosensory circuit, suggesting an evolutionary link between thermosensation and phototransduction.