Cell Reports
Volume 14, Issue 7, 23 February 2016, Pages 1641-1654
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Article
C. elegans Body Cavity Neurons Are Homeostatic Sensors that Integrate Fluctuations in Oxygen Availability and Internal Nutrient Reserves

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2016.01.052Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • Oxygen-sensing neurons regulate body fat metabolism via a neuroendocrine signal

  • Fluctuations in normoxic oxygen determine the magnitude of body fat loss

  • An interoceptive fat signal controls the tonic activity of oxygen-sensing neurons

  • The balance between neuronal oxygen sensing and internal reserves drives fat loss

Summary

It is known that internal physiological state, or interoception, influences CNS function and behavior. However, the neurons and mechanisms that integrate sensory information with internal physiological state remain largely unknown. Here, we identify C. elegans body cavity neurons called URX(L/R) as central homeostatic sensors that integrate fluctuations in oxygen availability with internal metabolic state. We show that depletion of internal body fat reserves increases the tonic activity of URX neurons, which influences the magnitude of the evoked sensory response to oxygen. These responses are integrated via intracellular cGMP and Ca2+. The extent of neuronal activity thus reflects the balance between the perception of oxygen and available fat reserves. The URX homeostatic sensor ensures that neural signals that stimulate fat loss are only deployed when there are sufficient fat reserves to do so. Our results uncover an interoceptive neuroendocrine axis that relays internal state information to the nervous system.

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This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

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Present address: Carlo Erba Reagents, Via R. Merendi 22, 20010 Cornaredo, Milan, Italy