Inhibitory effects of caffeine on gustatory plasticity in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

• Published in: Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry Vol. 80; no. 10; pp. 1990 - 1994
• Main Authors: Urushihata, Takuya, Takuwa, Hiroyuki, Higuchi, Yukako, Sakata, Kazumi, Wakabayashi, Tokumitsu, Nishino, Asuka, Matsuura, Tetsuya
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis 02-10-2016
• Subjects: Animals; C. elegans; Caenorhabditis elegans - metabolism; Caenorhabditis elegans - physiology; caffeine; Caffeine - pharmacology; chemotaxis; Chemotaxis - drug effects; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Learning - drug effects; learning function; Locomotion - drug effects; Sodium Chloride - metabolism; Taste Perception - drug effects; Taste Perception - physiology; C. elegans; caffeine; chemotaxis; learning function
• ISSN: 0916-8451; 1347-6947
• DOI: 10.1080/09168451.2016.1191327

The effects of caffeine on salt chemotaxis learning were investigated using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. To estimate the degree of salt chemotaxis learning, nematodes were placed in a mixed solution of NaCl and caffeine, and then the chemotaxis index of NaCl was obtained from the nematodes placed on agar medium after pre-exposure to caffeine concentrations of 0.01, 0.1, 0.3, and 1.0%. Locomotor activity and preference behavior for caffeine were also estimated under these caffeine conditions. Nematodes pre-exposed to 0.3% caffeine showed inhibition of salt chemotaxis learning. Additional experiments indicated that nematodes showed a preference response to the middle concentration of caffeine (0.1%), with preference behavior declining in the 0.3% caffeine condition. Stable locomotor activity was observed under 0.01-0.3% caffeine conditions. These results suggest that salt chemotaxis learning with 0.3% caffeine is useful for investigating the effects of caffeine on learning in nematodes.
We developed the nematode as a model animal for studying the effects of caffeine on learning. Nematodes pre-exposed to 0.3% caffeine showed inhibition of learning.