Type: Sensory neuron
Connectivity:
- In WormWiring: CEMDLm, CEMDRm, CEMVLm, CEMVRm
- In Nemanode:
In Wormbase: CEM, CEMDL, CEMDR, CEMVL, CEMVR
Lineage: AB plaaaaaap, AB arpapaaap,
AB plpaapapp, AB prpaapapp
Location: Head
Description: Male specific cephalic neurons (goes through programmed cell death in hermaphrodite embryo). CEM are the only male-specific neurons that are born embryonically. Dendrite tip is open to outside.
Neurotransmitter/ Neuropeptide:
- Acetylcholine - after late L4
- Unknown monoamine
(Pereira et al., 2015; Wang et al., 2024)
Innexin expression:
Receptor expression:
Function:
- CEM neurons sense secreted pheromone and are involved in behavioral responses to pheromone (secreted C. elegans pheromone is a mixture composed of derivatives of the dideoxysugar ascarylose - C3, C6, C7, C9 and other ascarosides) that regulates entry to dauer stage at L1, as well as adult behaviors such as sexual attraction and social behavior. Composition of the pheromone is different between two sexes and male-secreted pheromone is not attractive to males (Izrayelit et al., 2012; Bae and Barr, 2008).
- Release extracellular vesicles that modulate male behavior (Wang et al., 2014).
Reporters:
- At CGC:
- Other: PT621 him-5(e1490) myIs4[PKD-2::GFP; unc-122p::GFP] V (Bae et al., 2008)
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