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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Chemistry Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #239248
Title: Concentration dependent differential activity of signalling molecules in Caenorhabditis elegans

Author
item Kaplan, Fatma
item Alborn, Hans
item SRINIVASAN, JAGAN - California Institute Of Technology
item AJREDINI, R. - University Of Florida
item DURAK, O. - California Institute Of Technology
item MAHANTI, P. - Cornell University
item SCHROEDER, FRANK - California Institute Of Technology
item STERNBERG, PAUL - California Institute Of Technology
item Teal, Peter
item EDISON, ARTHUR - University Of Florida

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/26/2009
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: N/A

Technical Abstract: Caenorhabditis elegans employs specific glycosides of the dideoxysugar ascarylose (the ‘ascarosides’) for monitoring population density/ dauer formation and finding mates. A synergistic blend of three ascarosides, called ascr#2, ascr#3 and ascr#4 acts as a dauer pheromone at a high concentration nanoMolar-microMolar(nM-µM) but the same ascarosides attracts males at a lower concentration picoMolar (pM) and thus functions as a mating signal. The ascaroside blends produced by adult and young adult worms were similar but differed significantly from that of the larval stages. Furthermore, all four larval stages (L1-L4) produce similar ascaroside mixtures. We also found that the absolute amounts of ascarosides produced and their relative ratios depended on whether nematode secretions were collected in the presence or absence of bacteria. Possible explanations for the observed differences will be discussed.