Department of Neurobiology, LRB 717, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
Curr Opin Neurobiol. 2012 Apr;22(2):187-93. doi: 10.1016/j.conb.2011.12.007. Epub 2012 Jan 4.
Escape behaviors are crucial to survive predator encounters. Touch to the head of Caenorhabditis elegans induces an escape response where the animal rapidly backs away from the stimulus and suppresses foraging head movements. The coordination of head and body movements facilitates escape from predacious fungi that cohabitate with nematodes in organic debris. An appreciation of the natural habitat of laboratory organisms, like C. elegans, enables a comprehensive neuroethological analysis of behavior. In this review we discuss the neuronal mechanisms and the ecological significance of the C. elegans touch response.
逃避行为对于在遭遇捕食者时生存至关重要。触碰秀丽隐杆线虫的头部会引发逃避反应,使动物迅速从刺激源后退,并抑制觅食时的头部运动。头部和身体运动的协调有助于逃避与线虫共生在有机碎屑中的捕食性真菌。了解实验室生物(如秀丽隐杆线虫)的自然栖息地,可以对其行为进行全面的神经行为学分析。在这篇综述中,我们讨论了秀丽隐杆线虫触碰反应的神经元机制和生态意义。