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21 November 2024 Temperature Acclimation and Cold Tolerance in Caenorhabditis Elegans are Regulated by Multiorgan Coordination
Akane Ohta, Chinatsu Morimoto, Seiya Kamino, Moe Tezuka
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

To ensure survival and reproduction, organisms must continually adapt to environmental fluctuations, such as temperature, humidity, oxygen level, and salinity. Particularly, temperature profoundly influences biochemical reactions crucial for survival. Here, we present the mechanisms employed by the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to anticipate and respond to cold temperatures. Our findings reveal that temperature is detected by specific neurons linked to various physiological processes in the gut, spermatheca, and muscles. Notably, the gut, a primary fat storage organ in C. elegans, regulates fat mobilization and accumulation in a temperature-dependent manner, thereby contributing to temperature adaptation. Furthermore, normal spermatogenetic mechanisms influence cold tolerance by modulating the responsiveness of thermosensory neurons to temperature changes. Considering our results together with recent reports, we suggest that a polyU-specific endoribonuclease expressed in muscle cells plays a role in cold tolerance through a non-cell-autonomous mechanism, possibly involving transportation intertissues. Thus, understanding cold tolerance and temperature acclimation in C. elegans can provide valuable insights on systemic physiological regulation in response to temperature fluctuations. Moreover, they could help elucidate the actions of thermosensory neurons and their downstream neuronal circuits or neuropeptides on the peripheral organs.

Akane Ohta, Chinatsu Morimoto, Seiya Kamino, and Moe Tezuka "Temperature Acclimation and Cold Tolerance in Caenorhabditis Elegans are Regulated by Multiorgan Coordination," Zoological Science 42(1), (21 November 2024). https://doi.org/10.2108/zs240029
Received: 17 April 2024; Accepted: 2 September 2024; Published: 21 November 2024
KEYWORDS
cold tolerance
environmental adaptation
lipid metabolism
neuropeptides
temperature acclimation
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