Study finds wild nematode worms learn to avoid harmful bacteria—and their offspring inherit this knowledge
Pv1-induced learned avoidance causes avoidance of P. mendocina, a beneficial natural bacterial species. Credit: Murphy et al., 2024, PLOS Genetics, CC-BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) The nematode worm C. elegans will stay away from dangerous bacteria in its environment when exposed to certain bacterial RNAs—and can transmit that learned behavior to future generations. A team led by
Rebecka Redner
March 28, 2024