New Modes of GPCR Signalling

ABSTRACT
Sensory Transduction in C. elegans: What Can't a Worm Sense?
Shawn X. Xu
Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
The ability to sense and respond to sensory inputs is essential for life. There are five
common senses in mammals: vision, smell, taste, hearing and touch. In addition, we
rely on proprioception, which is often referred to as the sixth sense, to control body
posture, balance and movement. Among the most common sensory stimuli are
chemicals (smell and taste), mechanical forces (touch, hearing and proprioception) and
light (vision). We are particularly interested in understanding how neurons detect and
transduce mechanical and light stimuli, and how gene networks (e.g. receptors, ion
channels and signaling molecules) regulate these processes. Currently, we focus on
mechanotransduction and phototransduction. We have reported that proprioception is
present in C. elegans. We have also made the surprising discovery that C. elegans, an
organism that is generally believed to be blind (light-insensitive), in fact possesses a
simple visual system, senses light and engages in phototaxis behavior. Our data reveal
conservations in mechanotransduction and phototransduction between worms and
mammals. These studies establish C. elegans as a powerful genetic model for studying
the mechanisms of mechanotransduction and phototransduction.