Dynamic gene expression in neurons shapes fundamental processes in the nervous systems of animals. However, how neuronal activation by different stimuli can lead to distinct transcriptional responses is not well understood. We have been studying how microbial metabolites modulate gene expression in chemosensory neurons of Caenorhabditis elegans. Considering the diverse environmental stimuli that can activate chemosensory neurons of C. elegans, we sought to understand how specific transcriptional responses can be generated in these neurons in response to distinct cues. We have focused on the mechanism of rapid (<6 min) and selective transcriptional induction of daf-7, a gene encoding a TGF-β ligand, in the ASJ chemosensory neurons in response to the pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa. DAF-7 is required for the protective behavioral avoidance of P. aeruginosa by C. elegans. Here, we define the involvement of two distinct cyclic GMP (cGMP)-dependent pathways that are required for daf-7 expression in the ASJ neuron pair in response to P. aeruginosa. We show that a calcium-independent pathway dependent on the cGMP-dependent protein kinase G (PKG) EGL-4, and a canonical calcium-dependent signaling pathway dependent on the activity of a cyclic nucleotide-gated channel subunit CNG-2, function in parallel to activate rapid, selective transcription of daf-7 in response to P. aeruginosa metabolites. Our data suggest that fast, selective early transcription of neuronal genes require PKG in shaping responses to distinct microbial stimuli in a pair of C. elegans chemosensory neurons.

神经元中的动态基因表达塑造了动物神经系统的基本过程。然而，不同刺激的神经元激活如何导致不同的转录反应尚不清楚。我们一直在研究微生物代谢物如何调节秀丽隐杆线虫化学感应神经元的基因表达。考虑到可以激活C化学感应神经元的多种环境刺激。在线虫中，我们试图了解这些神经元如何响应不同的线索而产生特定的转录反应。我们重点关注 ASJ 化学感应神经元中快速 (<6 id=8>daf-7，一种编码 TGF-β 配体的基因) 响应致病菌铜绿假单胞菌的机制。DAF-7 是保护性细菌所必需的。线虫对铜绿假单胞菌的行为回避。我们定义了 ASJ神经元对中daf-7表达所需的两种不同的环 GMP (cGMP) 依赖性途径。依赖于 cGMP 依赖性蛋白激酶 G (PKG) EGL-4 的钙独立通路和依赖于环核苷酸门控通道亚基 CNG-2 活性的典型钙依赖性信号通路，与激活daf-7响应铜绿假单胞菌代谢物的快速、选择性转录。我们的数据表明，神经元基因的快速、选择性早期转录需要 PKG 来形成对C中不同微生物刺激的反应。 线虫化学感应神经元。