When animals are faced with food depletion, food search-associated locomotion is crucial for their survival. Although food search-associated locomotion is known to be regulated by dopamine, it has yet to investigate the potential molecular mechanisms governing the regulation of genes involved in dopamine metabolism (e.g., <i>
cat-1,
cat-2</i>) and related behavioral disorders. During the studies of the pheromone ascaroside, a signal of starvation stress in <i>C. elegans,</i> we identified R02D3.7, renamed <i>
rcat-1</i> (regulator of <i>cat</i> genes-<i>1</i>), which had previously been shown to bind to regulatory sequences of both <i>
cat-1</i> and <i>
cat-2</i> genes. It was found that RCAT-1 (R02D3.7) is expressed in dopaminergic neurons and functions as a novel negative transcriptional regulator for <i>
cat-1</i> and <i>
cat-2</i> genes. When a food source becomes depleted, the null mutant, <i>
rcat-1(
ok1745)</i>, exhibited an increased frequency of high-angled turns and intensified area restricted search behavior compared to the wild-type animals. Moreover, <i>
rcat-1(
ok1745)</i> also showed defects in state-dependent olfactory adaptation and basal slowing response, suggesting that the mutants are deficient in either sensing food or locomotion toward food. However, <i>
rcat-1(
ok1745)</i> has normal cuticular structures and locomotion genes. The discovery of <i>
rcat-1</i> not only identifies a new subtype of dopamine-related behaviors but also provides a potential therapeutic target in Parkinson's disease.