Lead: The conserved endocannabinoid anandamide modulates olfactory sensitivity to induce hedonic feeding in C. elegans

Lead Story:

The conserved endocannabinoid anandamide modulates olfactory sensitivity to induce hedonic feeding in C. elegans 

Current Biology

Laboratory worm Caenorhabditis elegans apparently gets the ‘munchies’ when exposed to cannabis. After soaking in an endocannabinoid bath, worms preferred to eat nutrient-rich, rather than nutrient-poor, bacteria. They fed for longer than worms not exposed to endocannabinoid or worms without working endocannabinoid receptors. This shared trait points to the deep evolutionary origin of cannabinoid receptors and behaviors influenced by the molecules.

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