WORMS GET THE MUNCHIES: ENDOCANNABINOID MODULATION OF FEEDING AND CHEMOSENSATION IN C. ELEGANS

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dc.contributor.advisorLockery, Shawn
dc.contributor.authorLevichev, Anastasia
dc.date.accessioned2022-10-04T19:45:12Z
dc.date.available2022-10-04T19:45:12Z
dc.date.issued2022-10-04
dc.description.abstractThe ability of Cannabis sativa to stimulate appetite has been known for centuries. This effect results from the action of plant-derived cannabinoids at cannabinoid receptors in the brain where they mimic natural ligands called endocannabinoids. The endocannabinoid system contributes to many physiological functions in the body, including energy homeostasis. Although cannabinoid signaling is widely conserved across the animal kingdom, the degree of functional conservation, particularly in non-mammals remains an open question. This work explores the role of the endocannabinoid system in modulating food intake across species, with particular focus on the nematode worm C. elegans. Exposure to anandamide, an endocannabinoid common to nematodes and mammals, selectively increases C. elegans’ consumption of nutritionally superior, highly palatable food without a concomitant increase in consumption of non-palatable food—a pattern of altered preferences analogous to that of mammals in response to cannabinoids. Anandamide’s effect on feeding requires the worm’s cannabinoid receptor NPR-19. Moreover, the NPR-19 receptor can be replaced by human CB1 receptor, indicating a robust functional homology between the function of the endocannabinoid systems of mammals and nematodes. Anandamide’s effect requires a single pair of primary chemosensory neurons, AWC, whose response to anandamide is sufficient to explain its effects on food preference. These findings establish a surprising degree of conservation in appetitive behaviors and establish C. elegans as model system in which to investigate the cellular and molecular basis of endocannabinoid system function.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1794/27627
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherUniversity of Oregon
dc.rightsAll Rights Reserved.
dc.subjectAWCen_US
dc.subjectcannabinoiden_US
dc.subjectelegansen_US
dc.subjectfeedingen_US
dc.subjecthedonicen_US
dc.subjectolfactionen_US
dc.titleWORMS GET THE MUNCHIES: ENDOCANNABINOID MODULATION OF FEEDING AND CHEMOSENSATION IN C. ELEGANS
dc.typeElectronic Thesis or Dissertation
thesis.degree.disciplineDepartment of Biology
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Oregon
thesis.degree.leveldoctoral
thesis.degree.namePh.D.

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