Date of Award

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

College/School

College of Science and Mathematics

Department/Program

Biology

Thesis Sponsor/Dissertation Chair/Project Chair

Christos Suriano

Committee Member

Elena Petroff

Committee Member

Carlos Molina

Abstract

Ingestion comes with the risk of encountering pathogens, and most animals use neuroimmune regulation to minimize the chance of infection. TOL-1 receptor, a homolog of immune Toll Like Receptors (TLRs) plays an important role in behavioral immunity and pathogen avoidance in the nematode roundworm, C. elegans, by promoting the development of CO2-detecting chemosensory neurons. Escherichia coli (E. coli) is the main food source for C. elegans but can also colonize and infect immunosuppressed or aged worms. These bacteria can produce cues that can be attractive or aversive depending on the animal’s hunger-state. Here we aimed to study the C. elegans response to two compounds produced by their primary food source: lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and ethanol (EtOH). We measured survival, locomotion and mRNA expression of genes from key immune pathways in wild type and tol-1 nr2033 knockout after exposure to these bacterial compounds. We found that tol-1 mutants had altered EtOH seeking behavior and are more vulnerable to EtOH-related toxicity. We also show that responses to LPS are mediated by TOL-1 in C. elegans. Moreover, gene expression of tol-1 and downstream signaling partners along with co-localization of LPS and a tol-1 reporter in the digestive tract suggest a role for TOL-1 in LPS sensing. This contribution highlights a role of the C. elegans Toll-like receptor in mediating neurological response to both EtOH and LPS, and identifies a potential site for intervention to modulate neuronal circuits that govern defense systems and addictive behaviors.

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