Thermosensory Control of Multimodal Behavioral Adaptation and Optimization

Temperature is a significant factor that impacts all living organisms’ behavior and physiology. With climate
change driving significant shifts in environmental temperatures, it is crucial to understand the mechanism by
which animals adjust their behaviors to cope with these changes. Animals rely on thermosensation to sense
environmental temperatures and adjust their behavior accordingly, and almost all behavioral traits have optimal
temperatures at which the performance reaches maximal. However, it is largely unknown how thermosensation
contributes to the behavior-specific thermal preferences. To address this, we aim to use the model organism
Caenorhabditis elegans to uncover how thermosensory systems interact with other physiological processes to
regulate complex behaviors. We have developed an automated multimodal assaying platform of C. elegans
behavior. We will use this system for high-throughput assays of multiple behaviors (locomotion, egg-laying, and
chemotaxis) under various temperatures to identify patterns in how these behaviors are adapted to temperature
changes. Next, we will use the behavior-based assays to interrogate the previously identified neuronal substrate
for the thermosensation and integration systems to map the circuits for thermosensory regulation of thermal
optima of behaviors. Besides, we will employ the powerful genetics and neurophysiological toolset of the C.
elegans model to characterize the neural functions of these neurons in this process. Through pilot experiments,
we have already discovered that the TAX-4, a subunit of cyclic nucleotide-gated channel, strongly affects the
thermal optimum of egg-laying behavior. Using this finding as an entry point, we will focus on investigating genes
linked to the TAX-4 activity to identify the molecules responsible for the variation in thermal optima. Successful
completion of the aims of this project will help to obtain a molecular and cellular understanding of the
mechanisms that allow animals

Project Details

Funding Type:

Neurosciences Interdisciplinary Scholar Awards

Award Year:

2025

Lead Researcher(s):

Hongfei Ji (Postdoctoral Scholar, Molecular and Cellular Physiology)

Team Members:

Miriam B. Goodman (Primary Advisor)