Animals respond to predators by altering their behavior and physiological states, but the underlying signaling mechanisms are poorly understood. Using the interactions between Caenorhabditis elegans and its predator, Pristionchus pacificus, we show that neuronal perception by C. elegans of a predator-specific molecular signature induces instantaneous escape behavior and a prolonged reduction in oviposition. Chemical analysis revealed this predator-specific signature to consist of a class of sulfolipids, produced by a biochemical pathway required for developing predacious behavior and specifically induced by starvation. These sulfolipids are detected by four pairs of C. elegans amphid sensory neurons that act redundantly and recruit cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) or transient receptor potential (TRP) channels to drive both escape and reduced oviposition. Functional homology of the delineated signaling pathways and abolishment of predator-evoked C. elegans responses by the anti-anxiety drug sertraline suggests a likely conserved or convergent strategy for managing predator threats.

中文翻译：

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捕食者分泌的硫脂诱导秀丽隐杆线虫的防御反应。

动物通过改变行为和生理状态来应对捕食者，但人们对潜在的信号机制知之甚少。利用秀丽隐杆线虫与其捕食者太平洋Pristionchus 之间的相互作用，我们发现秀丽隐杆线虫对捕食者特异性分子特征的神经元感知会诱导瞬时逃跑行为和产卵时间的长期减少。化学分析表明，这种捕食者特有的特征由一类硫脂组成，这些硫脂是由发展捕食行为所需的生化途径产生的，并且是由饥饿特别诱导的。这些硫脂由四对秀丽隐杆线虫两栖感觉神经元检测到，这些感觉神经元冗余地起作用并招募环核苷酸门控（CNG）或瞬时受体电位（TRP）通道来驱动逃逸和减少产卵。所描绘的信号通路的功能同源性和抗焦虑药物舍曲林消除捕食者诱发的秀丽隐杆线虫反应表明，管理捕食者威胁的可能是保守或趋同的策略。