A variety of natural substances including both volatile organic compounds and water-soluble compounds play a significant role in the chemotactic behaviors of the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We observed chemotactic behaviors of C. elegans with respect to response to attractants produced by nematode parasitic fungus Stropharia rugosoannulata, which were partially induced by specific amino acids. The results of gas chromatography-mass spectrometer analysis suggested that 1-octen-3-ol was produced and benzaldehyde concentrations increased when L-phenylalanine was added to water agar plate. Similarly, the addition of L-tryptophan to the medium induced the production of benzaldehyde, 1-octen-3-ol and indole. The presence of L-phenylalanine and L-tryptophan increased the attraction of C. elegans to S. rugosoannulata. With attraction increased, nematode mortality increased more than 6 times higher.
Key wordsCaenorhabditis elegans, Stropharia rugosoannulata, chemotaxis, attractants Caenorhabditis elegans elegans has long been known to display chemotactic behavior to small water-soluble compounds like cAMP and NaCl, and neurons and genes required for these responses have been described
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