Neuronal perception of aversive odor shortens life span in Caenorhabditis elegans

Sensory perception of a variety of environmental cues is crucial for animal’s survival. However, role of odor perception in longevity and health is incompletely defined. Here, we show that olfactory neuron AWB is essential for inducing the harmful effects of an aversive odor in C. elegans . We found that exposure to 2-nonanone odor reduces life span, brood size and feeding rate, and increases lipid storage in worms. These effects were restored up to wild type levels in mutant worms lacking a functional olfactory AWB neuron. The study substantiates the role of olfaction in regulating life span and health span.