摘要：SummaryWe show thatC. elegansnematodes learn to associate food with a combination of proprioceptive cues and information on the structure of their surroundings (maze), perceived through mechanosensation. By using the custom-made Worm-Maze platform, we demonstrate thatC. elegansyoung adults can locate food in T-shaped mazes and, following that experience, learn to reach a specific maze arm.C. eleganslearning inside the maze is possible after a single training session, it resembles working memory, and it prevails over conflicting environmental cues. We provide evidence that the observed learning is a food-triggered multisensory behavior, which requires mechanosensory and proprioceptive input, and utilizes cues about the structural features of nematodes' environment and their body actions. The CREB-like transcription factor and dopamine signaling are also involved in maze performance. Lastly, we show that the observed aging-driven decline ofC. eleganslearning ability in the maze can be reversed by starvation.Graphical abstractDisplay OmittedHighlights•C. eleganscan be trained to reach a target arm in a T-shaped maze•Learning requires the contribution of tactile and proprioceptive cues•C. elegansfollow a kind of response learning strategy in the maze environment•Learning is short-term and sensitive to distractionBehavioral Neuroscience; Biological Sciences; Neuroscience
