A role of ADF chemosensory neurones in dauer formation behaviour in C. elegans.

In Caenorhabditis elegans, mutants in osmotic avoidance behaviour (osm), which fail to avoid high concentrations of salts and sugars, have been previously identified. These osm mutants are also defective in dauer larva formation, and fail to take up fluorescein dye in six pairs of amphid neurones (ADF, ADL, ASH, ASI, ASJ, and ASK) and two pairs of phasmid neurones. Analysis of the FITC dye uptake by osm-3 mutants show that seven of the eight osm-3 alleles can take up FITC dyes in one pair of amphid neurones, ADF. Comparison of dauer larva formation behaviour in different osm-3 alleles shows a direct correlation between improved behaviour and FITC dye uptake. Therefore, these allelic strains are useful in defining the role of ADF neurones in dauer larva formation.