Type: Sensory neuron (dauer entry, electrosensory and photosensory)
In MoW: ASJ
Male Wiring Project: ASJL_h, ASJR_h, ASJL_m, ASJR_m
In Wormbase: ASJ, ASJL, ASJR
Lineage: AB alpppppppa, AB praaappppa
Location: Lateral ganglia of head
Description: Amphid neurons, single (AsG) ciliated endings. Like all other amphid neurons, ASJ are born near the presumptive nose of the embryo during development. They then anchor a short projection there, after which the cell body migrates away, stretching the dendrite out behind it. This process is dependent on DEX-1 or DYF-7, secreted extracellular matrix proteins which act cooperatively for anchoring. In mutants lacking these proteins, the dendrite fails to anchor at the nose and is dragged along with the migrating cell body, giving rise to a short dendritic stub (Heiman and Shaham, 2010). Dendritic process takes up FITC. ASJ axon projects into the ventral cord by way of the same side amphid commissure and then grows into the nerve ring where it makes diverse synaptic connections in ring neuropil
Neurotransmitter/ Neuropeptide:
- NLP-3; neuropeptide-like protein
(Although earlier reports suggested ASJ might be glutamatergic, more recent studies showed it is not)

(Serrano-Saiz et al., 2013; Ohnishi et al., 2011; Nathoo et al., 2001)
Innexin expression:
None yet reported, although described to have gap junctions in adult animals (MoW)
Receptor expression:
- OSM-9; capsaicin receptor-like protein
- SRE-1; G protein-coupled, 7 TM protein
- DAF-11; transmembrane guanylyl cyclase
(Birnby et al., 2000; Colbert et al., 1997; Troemel et al., 1995)
Function:
- Control entry into dauer stage; ADF, ASI and ASG inhibit entry into dauer stage while ASJ and ASK promote dauer entry (Kim et al., 2009; Ouellett et al., 2008; Schackwitz et al., 1996).
- Control exit from dauer stage; promotes dauer recovery (Bargmann and Horvitz, 1991).
- Lightsensation (350-470 nm range); when a flash of light is focused on the head of a worm moving forward, the animal halts and initiates reversals. Ablation of ASJ, AWB, ASK and ASH neurons together leads to a severe deficit in this head avoidance response while ablation of them individually or in different combinations does not yiled a significant defect suggesting functional redundancy (Ward et al., 2008).
- Electrosensory navigation; C. elegans moves toward the negative pole of an electric field. Killing the ASJ or ASH neurons leads to significant disruption in electrotaxis while killing ASK, AWB or AWC has a weaker effect (Gabel et al., 2007).