How does a tiny worm coordinate complex escape behaviour? In this episode, we dive into how the neurotransmitter tyramine triggers rapid, coordinated escape in Caenorhabditis elegans. Researchers uncovered that tyramine activates a newly discovered tyramine-gated chloride channel, LGC-55, which suppresses head movements and promotes sustained backward locomotion after anterior touch.
We explore:
How tyramine acts as a classical inhibitory neurotransmitter in C. elegans
The critical role of LGC-55 in controlling head movement and reversal length during escapes
Why tyramine’s control of multiple motor outputs is vital to escaping predatory fungi
How tyramine reshapes neural network dynamics to bias the worm toward rapid retreat
📖 Based on the research article:
“A Tyramine-Gated Chloride Channel Coordinates Distinct Motor Programs of a Caenorhabditis elegans Escape Response”
Jennifer K. Pirri, Adam D. McPherson, Jamie L. Donnelly, Michael M. Francis & Mark J. Alkema.
Published in Neuron (2009).
🔗 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2009.04.013
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