Investigating Foraging Behavior via the Insulin/IGF-1 Pathway in C. elegans
Start Date
April 2026
Location
2nd floor - Library
Abstract
Foraging within animals can elicit a high risk, high reward response as conservative foraging strategies can result in limited food acquisition while foraging can increase the possibility of encountering hazards. In humans, foraging is understood within the context of dietary behavior. C. elegans can be used to model foraging behavior, as they are genetically tractable, and share orthologs with humans for relevant pathways. In our study, foraging assays were conducted on animals of different genotypes. We used two strains; daf-2 mutant that lacks the insulin-like peptides that stimulate the sensation of “fullness”, and a FOXO transcription factor mutant which affects the perception of “hunger”. C. elegans were starved or left to feed for one hour. Worms of each strain were then placed in the center of a fructose ring and allowed to forage towards two diacyl dots for fifteen minutes. Worms inside the circle were counted. Wildtypes experienced low exiting during their fed state compared to their unfed state. CB1370 experienced high exiting overall regardless of the metabolic state. DR 27 showed reversed effects, with low exiting regardless of metabolic state. High exiting indicates the strain’s lack of proception of “fullness” is constantly induced which would cause high exiting of the fructose ring to scavenge for nutrients. The decrease overall in exiting could be caused by the lack of perception of hunger in which the worms would not leave the ring to seek food. This work will improve our understanding of the genetic and physiological mechanisms underlying complex feeding behaviors.
Investigating Foraging Behavior via the Insulin/IGF-1 Pathway in C. elegans
2nd floor - Library
Foraging within animals can elicit a high risk, high reward response as conservative foraging strategies can result in limited food acquisition while foraging can increase the possibility of encountering hazards. In humans, foraging is understood within the context of dietary behavior. C. elegans can be used to model foraging behavior, as they are genetically tractable, and share orthologs with humans for relevant pathways. In our study, foraging assays were conducted on animals of different genotypes. We used two strains; daf-2 mutant that lacks the insulin-like peptides that stimulate the sensation of “fullness”, and a FOXO transcription factor mutant which affects the perception of “hunger”. C. elegans were starved or left to feed for one hour. Worms of each strain were then placed in the center of a fructose ring and allowed to forage towards two diacyl dots for fifteen minutes. Worms inside the circle were counted. Wildtypes experienced low exiting during their fed state compared to their unfed state. CB1370 experienced high exiting overall regardless of the metabolic state. DR 27 showed reversed effects, with low exiting regardless of metabolic state. High exiting indicates the strain’s lack of proception of “fullness” is constantly induced which would cause high exiting of the fructose ring to scavenge for nutrients. The decrease overall in exiting could be caused by the lack of perception of hunger in which the worms would not leave the ring to seek food. This work will improve our understanding of the genetic and physiological mechanisms underlying complex feeding behaviors.
