Behavior of <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> in a nicotine gradient modulated by food Robert Sobkowiak Piotr Kaczmarek Mateusz Kowalski Rafał Kabaciński Andrzej Lesicki 10.6084/m9.figshare.5662333.v1 https://tandf.figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Behavior_of_i_Caenorhabditis_elegans_i_in_a_nicotine_gradient_modulated_by_food/5662333 <p>Nicotine decreases food intake, and smokers often report that they smoke to control their weight. To see whether similar phenomena could be observed in the model organism <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i>, we challenged drug-naïve nematodes with a chronic low (0.01 mM) and high (1 mM) nicotine concentration for 55 h (from hatching to adulthood). After that, we recorded changes in their behavior in a nicotine gradient, where they could choose a desired nicotine concentration. By using a combination of behavioral and morphometric methods, we found that both nicotine and food modulate worm behavior. In the presence of food (<i>E. coli</i> OP50) the nematodes adapted to the low nicotine concentration, when placed in the gradient, chose a similar nicotine concentration like <i>C. elegans</i> adapted to the high nicotine concentration. However, in the absence of food, the nematodes adapted to the low nicotine concentration, when placed in the gradient of this alkaloid, chose a similar nicotine concentration like naïve worms. The nematodes growing up in the presence of high concentrations of nicotine had a statistically smaller body size, compared to the control condition, and the presence of food did not cause any enhanced slowing movement. These results provide a platform for more detailed molecular and cellular studies of nicotine addiction and food intake in this model organism.</p> 2017-12-04 10:37:57 Nicotine gradient nicotine exposure behavior body size food intake Caenorhabditis elegans