Abstract
The activity of transcription factors modulates several neural pathways that mediate complex behaviors. We describe here the role of the POU transcription factor UNC-86 in the olfactory behavior of Caenorhabditis elegans. unc-86-null mutants are defective in response to odor attractants but avoid odor repellents normally. Continuous UNC-86 activity is necessary for maintenance of odortaxis behavior; hyperactivation of UNC-86 by fusion to a VP16 activation domain dramatically enhances sensitivity to odor attractants and promotes odor-attractant adaptation. UNC-86 is not expressed in olfactory sensory neurons but is expressed throughout the life of the animal in the AIZ interneurons of the odorsensory pathway. We suggest that UNC-86 transcriptional activity regulates the expression of genes that mediate synaptic properties of AIZ and that hyperactive UNC-86::VP16 may enhance the expression of synaptic components to affect the capacity to analyze and process sensory information.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 9560-9565 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |
| Volume | 100 |
| Issue number | 16 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Aug 5 2003 |
| Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General