Molecular and Circuit Mechanisms of Insulin Signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans

Abstract

Insulin signaling is highly conserved across animals, and is known for its ubiquitous function in all aspects of animal physiology. Despite its relatively well-studied role in metabolism and energy expenditure, how it is involved in learning and memory remains a mystery, due to the complex nature of the nervous system. In this thesis, I have used C. elegans, a tractable model organism with a sophisticated behavioral repertoire, to investigate molecular and cellular mechanisms of insulin signaling in learning.