Ultrasound Elicits Behavioral Responses through Mechanical Effects on Neurons and Ion Channels in a Simple Nervous System

The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience
Jan KubanekMiriam B Goodman

Abstract

Focused ultrasound has been shown to stimulate excitable cells, but the biophysical mechanisms behind this phenomenon remain poorly understood. To provide additional insight, we devised a behavioral-genetic assay applied to the well-characterized nervous system of Caenorhabditis elegans nematodes. We found that pulsed ultrasound elicits robust reversal behavior in wild-type animals in a pressure-, duration-, and pulse protocol-dependent manner. Responses were preserved in mutants unable to sense thermal fluctuations and absent in mutants lacking neurons required for mechanosensation. Additionally, we found that the worm's response to ultrasound pulses rests on the expression of MEC-4, a DEG/ENaC/ASIC ion channel required for touch sensation. Consistent with prior studies of MEC-4-dependent currents in vivo, the worm's response was optimal for pulses repeated 300-1000 times per second. Based on these findings, we conclude that mechanical, rather than thermal, stimulation accounts for behavioral responses. Further, we propose that acoustic radiation force governs the response to ultrasound in a manner that depends on the touch receptor neurons and MEC-4-dependent ion channels. Our findings illuminate a complete pathway of ultraso...Continue Reading

Citations

Dec 20, 2018·Journal of Neurophysiology·Jen-Wei LinYoshio Okada
Apr 26, 2019·Journal of Developmental Biology·Elizabeth M DiLoretoJagan Srinivasan
Dec 8, 2019·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Xiang WuGuosong Hong
Jul 17, 2020·Chemical Society Reviews·Yin FangBozhi Tian
Nov 30, 2018·Neurotherapeutics : the Journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics·David P Darrow
Jul 5, 2019·Nature Nanotechnology·Héctor Acarón LedesmaBozhi Tian
Mar 14, 2019·Nature Communications·Daniel P ZachsHubert H Lim
Nov 6, 2018·Current Behavioral Neuroscience Reports·Fabian MunozVincent P Ferrera
Jun 21, 2018·Materials·Takuma SugiMasaki Nishimura
Jul 17, 2020·Science Advances·Jan KubanekWilliam Newsome
Aug 9, 2020·Frontiers in Physiology·Songyun WangHong Jiang
Jun 15, 2020·Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews·Nick ToddDavid Borsook
Feb 6, 2021·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Ben SorumStephen G Brohawn
Sep 17, 2020·Science Advances·Jan KubanekWilliam Newsome
Oct 16, 2020·Neuron·Claire RabutMikhail G Shapiro
Apr 2, 2021·NeuroImage·P Christiaan KlinkChristopher I Petkov
May 7, 2021·Research : a Science Partner Journal·Tianyuan BianHairong Zheng
May 20, 2021·Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology·Louise M SteeleDelores J Smith
Sep 3, 2021·Bioelectricity·Jarno M A TanskanenJari A K Hyttinen
Nov 4, 2021·Epilepsia·Cheng-Chia LeeHsiang-Yu Yu
Jan 14, 2022·Translational Vision Science & Technology·Matthieu ProvansalSerge Picaud

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