CaMKI-Dependent regulation of sensory gene expression mediates experience-dependent plasticity in the operating range of a thermosensory neuron

Abstract

Sensory adaptation represents a form of experience-dependent plasticity that allows neurons to retain high sensitivity over a broad dynamic range. The mechanisms by which sensory neuron responses are altered on different timescales during adaptation are unclear. The threshold for temperature-evoked activity in the AFD thermosensory neurons (T*AFD) in C. elegans is set by the cultivation temperature (Tc) and regulated by intracellular cGMP levels. We find that T*AFD adapts on both short and long timescales upon exposure to temperatures warmer than Tc, and that prolonged exposure to warmer temperatures alters expression of AFD-specific receptor guanylyl cyclase genes. These temperature-regulated changes in gene expression are mediated by the CMK-1 CaMKI enzyme, which exhibits Tc-dependent nucleocytoplasmic shuttling in AFD. Our results indicate that CaMKI-mediated changes in sensory gene expression contribute to long-term adaptationof T*AFD, and suggest that similar temporally and mechanistically distinct phases may regulate the operating ranges of other sensory neurons.