These receptors are evolutionary conserved and we have been able to investigate how these molecules control simple behaviours in the 302 neuronal cell (approx 6000 synapse) simple nervous system of C.elegans.
Using mutant worms deficient in these receptors and reporter to pinpoint the nerves in which these receptors are expressed enables us to define how this receptor act to co-ordinate relatively sophisticated behaviours (i.e. foraging for food, and feeding behaviour). In a way that maps onto the human nervous system we recognize that these receptors play an important neuromodulatory role in complex behaviour.