Abstract
In Caenorhabditis elegans , nose touch avoidance behavior is regulated by the Amphid Sheath (AMsh) glial cells via release of GABA. AMsh glia themselves exhibit calcium responses to mechanical stimulation, although the mechanosensitive channel responsible remains unidentified . Here, we investigated whether pezo-1 , the sole C. elegans homolog of mammalian PIEZO1 and PIEZO2, mediates AMsh glial mechanosensitivity and contributes to nose touch avoidance. We examined behavioral responses in three pezo-1 mutant strains, including a full gene deletion and two truncation alleles lacking the pore-forming transmembrane domains. In addition, we monitored calcium transients in the full gene deletion strain. While pezo-1 ( av149 ) mutants showed a slight reduction in nose touch response, pezo-1 ( av240 ) and pezo-1 ( sy1199 ) mutants behaved like wild-type animals. In vivo calcium imaging revealed that AMsh glial responses to touch were preserved in pezo-1 ( av240 ) mutants, with no significant difference in peak calcium signals compared to wild-type. These findings indicate that pezo-1 is not required for AMsh glial mechanosensory responses or nose touch avoidance behavior. Further research is needed to identify the channels and pathways mediating mechanotransduction in AMsh glia.