Odor-dependent temporal dynamics in C. elegans odor memory
Animals sense an enormous number of cues in their environments, and, over time, can form memories and associations to some of these. The nervous system remarkably maintains the specificity of memory to each of the cues. Here we asked whether the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans adjusts the temporal dynamics of odor memory formation depending on the specific odor sensed. C. elegans senses a multitude of odors, and memory formation to some of these odors requires activity of the cGMP-dependent protein kinase EGL-4 in the AWC sensory neuron. We identified a panel of 17 attractive odors, some of which have not been tested before, and determined that the majority of these odors require the AWC primary sensory neuron for sensation. We then devised a novel assay to assess odor behavior over time for a single population of animals. We used this assay to evaluate the temporal dynamics of memory formation to 13 odors and find that memory formation occurs early in some odors and later in others. We then examined EGL-4 localization in early-trending and late-trending odors over time and found that the timing of memory formation correlated with the timing of nuclear accumulation of EGL-4 in the AWC neuron. We demonstrate that odor memory formation in C. elegans can be used as a model to study the timing of memory formation to different sensory cues.