Fig. 2. UNC-86 is required for AIZ function and the maintenance of odortaxis behavior. (a) UNC-86 is expressed continuously in the pair of AIZ interneurons throughout the life of the animal as detected by immunostaining with anti-UNC-86 antibodies. Anterior is on the left. (b) UNC-86 regulates the expression of the LIM-factor
lin-11 in AIZ. In wild-type animals, the
lin-11::GFP is expressed in the AIZ interneurons as well as several other head neurons.
unc-86-null animals fail to express
lin-11::GFP in AIZ, whereas expression in other neurons is normal.
unc-86-null animals carrying an integrated
unc-86::VP16 fusion gene show a wild-type
lin-11::GFP expression in AIZ and the other neurons. All strains carry the same integrated
lin-11::GFP fusion gene. The animals are young adults. Anterior is on the left. (c) UNC-86 is necessary for the maintenance of olfactory behavior. Wild-type and the
unc-86(
n848ts) temperature-sensitive mutants grown under the same conditions were compared for response to odor attractants. The animals were kept at 15°C, shifted to the nonpermissive temperature (25°C) at indicated developmental stages, and assayed at the adult stage.
unc-86(
n848) animals grown at the nonpermissive temperature exhibit odortaxis deficits equivalent to
unc-86-null mutants (Fig. 1).
unc-86(
n848) animals shifted to the nonpermissive temperature at larval stages show more profound odortaxis defects than those grown at the permissive temperature (P < 0.003 for benzaldehyde and P < 0.007 for isoamyl alcohol), but there is no significant difference between
unc-86(
n848) animals shifted to the nonpermissive temperature at larval stage 1 (L1) or larval stage 4 (L4). Changes of temperature do not affect odortaxis behaviors of wild-type animals; odortaxis behaviors of wild type grown at 25°C are shown. (d) Deletion of the LIM-factor gene
lin-11 affects odortaxis behavior. Two
lin-11 alleles (
n566 and
n1281) were assayed. Both alleles show similar behavioral defects,
lin-11(
n566) results are shown. Mutations of
lin-11 suppress
unc-86::VP16-directed odor-attractant hypersensitivity, indicating the action of
unc-86::VP16 requires the
lin-11 gene function.