Octopamine biosynthesis requires tyrosine decarboxylase to convert tyrosine into tyramine
and tyramine β-hydroxylase to convert tyramine into octopamine. We identified and …

We present an optogenetic illumination system capable of real-time light delivery with high
spatial resolution to specified targets in freely moving Caenorhabditis elegans. A tracking …

The development of optogenetics, a family of methods for using light to control neural
activity via light-sensitive proteins, has provided a powerful new set of tools for neurobiology. …

Escape behaviors are crucial to survive predator encounters. Touch to the head of Caenorhabditis
elegans induces an escape response where the animal rapidly backs away from the …

Differences in expression, protein interactions, and DNA binding of paralogous transcription
factors ("TF parameters") are thought to be important determinants of regulatory and …

The POU domain is a conserved DNA binding region of approximately 160 amino acids
present in a family of eukaryotic transcription factors that play regulatory roles in development. …

The Bmi1 gene has been identified as a mouse Polycomb group (Pc-G) gene implicated in
the regulation of Hox gene expression. Here we describe the characterization of a Bmi …

The Polycomb (Pc) protein is a component of a multimeric, chromatin-associated Polycomb
group (PcG) protein complex, which is involved in stable repression of gene activity. The …

A key feature of escape responses is the fast translation of sensory information into a
coordinated motor output. In C. elegans, anterior touch initiates a backward escape response in …

Monoamines provide chemical codes of behavioral states. However, the neural mechanisms
of monoaminergic orchestration of behavior are poorly understood. Touch elicits an escape …