Neuronal plasticity regulated by the insulin-like signaling pathway underlies salt chemotaxis learning in Caenorhabditis elegans

Quantification of neuronal plasticity in a living animal is essential for understanding learning and memory. Caenorhabditis elegans shows a chemotactic behavior toward NaCl. However, it learns to avoid NaCl after prolonged exposure to NaCl under starvation conditions, which is called salt chemotaxis learning. Insulin-like signaling is important for this behavioral plasticity and functions in one of the salt-sensing sensory neurons, ASE right (ASER). However, how neurons including ASER show neuronal plasticity is unknown. To determine the neuronal plasticity related to salt chemotaxis learning, we measured Ca2+ response and synaptic release of individual neurons by using in vivo imaging techniques. We found that response of ASER increased whereas its synaptic release decreased after prolonged exposure to NaCl without food. These changes in the opposite directions were abolished in insulin-like signaling mutants, suggesting that insulin-like signaling regulates these plasticities in ASER. The response of one of the downstream interneurons, AIB, decreased profoundly after NaCl conditioning. This alteration in AIB response was independent of the insulin-like signaling pathway. Our results suggest that information on NaCl is modulated at the level of both sensory neurons and interneurons in salt chemotaxis learning.