Velvety tree ant extract is a chemotaxis repellent for C. elegans
Ants use a range of compounds for interspecies interactions, but the neurogenetic mechanisms mediating these interactions are unclear. Here, we used chemotaxis assays with the nematode <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> to test if ant compounds can be detected by the worm nervous system and which chemosensory neurons are required for detection. We found that <i>C. elegans</i> avoid the extracts of velvety tree ants ( <i>Liometopum occidentale</i> ), and this response requires <i>osm-9</i> and <i>tax-4</i> positive neurons. These experiments were conducted by undergraduate students in an upper-division laboratory course, demonstrating how simple behavior assays conducted in a classroom setting can provide practical research experiences and new insights into interspecies interactions.
Authors
- Lutz Bachmann (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7451-2074)
- Katherine Fiocca (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5708-0641)
- Mabel González (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4649-2963)
- BO Diallo
- Jasmine Padilla
- Kelly Huang
- Nicole Bradon (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9236-0593)
- Bryan H. Juarez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5474-596X)
- Jennifer Jackson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5478-0968)
- Monge Pérez
- Lauren A. O’Connell (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2706-4077)
- Penelope Baker
- Shay Nair Sharma
- Mina Phipps (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9073-1979)
- Max Madrzyk (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-7973-6364)
- Sadie Mae Sarkisian
- Sofía Ceva
- Soyeon Park (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1462-5071)
- Juliana N Fong
- Eva Tatlock
- M. Carrillo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-6999-3244)
- G. Morales
- Malaya Gaerlan
- Katelyn Santa Maria
- Yvette Soto-Hernandez
- Cesar Mena
- Leslie Quintana
- Sowmya Chundi
Institutions
- Stanford University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- PubMed
- Published
- 2025-02-04
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.17912/micropub.biology.001531
- Primary Topic
- Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model Organisms
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00