1
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Moore JJ, Genkin A, Tournoy M, Pughe-Sanford JL, de Ruyter van Steveninck RR, Chklovskii DB. The neuron as a direct data-driven controller. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2311893121. [PMID: 38913890 PMCID: PMC11228465 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2311893121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024] Open
Abstract
In the quest to model neuronal function amid gaps in physiological data, a promising strategy is to develop a normative theory that interprets neuronal physiology as optimizing a computational objective. This study extends current normative models, which primarily optimize prediction, by conceptualizing neurons as optimal feedback controllers. We posit that neurons, especially those beyond early sensory areas, steer their environment toward a specific desired state through their output. This environment comprises both synaptically interlinked neurons and external motor sensory feedback loops, enabling neurons to evaluate the effectiveness of their control via synaptic feedback. To model neurons as biologically feasible controllers which implicitly identify loop dynamics, infer latent states, and optimize control we utilize the contemporary direct data-driven control (DD-DC) framework. Our DD-DC neuron model explains various neurophysiological phenomena: the shift from potentiation to depression in spike-timing-dependent plasticity with its asymmetry, the duration and adaptive nature of feedforward and feedback neuronal filters, the imprecision in spike generation under constant stimulation, and the characteristic operational variability and noise in the brain. Our model presents a significant departure from the traditional, feedforward, instant-response McCulloch-Pitts-Rosenblatt neuron, offering a modern, biologically informed fundamental unit for constructing neural networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason J Moore
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York City, NY 10016
- Center for Computational Neuroscience, Flatiron Institute, New York City, NY 10010
| | - Alexander Genkin
- Center for Computational Neuroscience, Flatiron Institute, New York City, NY 10010
| | - Magnus Tournoy
- Center for Computational Neuroscience, Flatiron Institute, New York City, NY 10010
| | | | | | - Dmitri B Chklovskii
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York City, NY 10016
- Center for Computational Neuroscience, Flatiron Institute, New York City, NY 10010
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2
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Haley JA, Chalasani SH. C. elegans foraging as a model for understanding the neuronal basis of decision-making. Cell Mol Life Sci 2024; 81:252. [PMID: 38849591 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-024-05223-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
Animals have evolved to seek, select, and exploit food sources in their environment. Collectively termed foraging, these ubiquitous behaviors are necessary for animal survival. As a foundation for understanding foraging, behavioral ecologists established early theoretical and mathematical frameworks which have been subsequently refined and supported by field and laboratory studies of foraging animals. These simple models sought to explain how animals decide which strategies to employ when locating food, what food items to consume, and when to explore the environment for new food sources. These foraging decisions involve integration of prior experience with multimodal sensory information about the animal's current environment and internal state. We suggest that the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is well-suited for a high-resolution analysis of complex goal-oriented behaviors such as foraging. We focus our discussion on behavioral studies highlighting C. elegans foraging on bacteria and summarize what is known about the underlying neuronal and molecular pathways. Broadly, we suggest that this simple model system can provide a mechanistic understanding of decision-making and present additional avenues for advancing our understanding of complex behavioral processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A Haley
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Sreekanth H Chalasani
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
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3
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Lee SA, Cho Y, Schafer WR, Lu H. Dynamic temperature control in microfluidics for in vivo imaging of cold-sensing in C. elegans. Biophys J 2024; 123:947-956. [PMID: 38449311 PMCID: PMC11052694 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2024.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
The ability to perceive temperature is crucial for most animals. It enables them to maintain their body temperature and swiftly react to noxiously cold or hot objects. Caenorhabditis elegans is a powerful genetic model for the study of thermosensation as its simple nervous system is well characterized and its transparent body is suited for in vivo functional imaging of neurons. The behavior triggered by experience-dependent thermosensation has been well studied in C. elegans under temperature-gradient environments. However, how C. elegans senses temperature via its nervous system is not well understood due to the limitations of currently available technologies. One major bottleneck is the difficulty in creating fast temperature changes, especially cold stimuli. Here, we developed a microfluidic-based platform that allowed the in vivo functional imaging of C. elegans responding to well-controlled temporally varying temperature stimulation by rapidly switching fluid streams at different temperatures. We used computational models to enable rational design and optimization of experimental conditions. We validated the design and utility of our system with studies of the functional role of thermosensory neurons. We showed that the responses of PVD polymodal nociceptor neurons observed in previous studies can be recapitulated. Further, we highlighted how this platform may be used to dissect neuronal circuits with an example of activity recording in PVC interneurons. Both of these neuron types show sensitization phenotypes. We envision that both the engineered system and the findings in this work will spur further studies of molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying cold-sensing through the nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sol Ah Lee
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia
| | - Yongmin Cho
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia
| | - William R Schafer
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Hang Lu
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia.
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4
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Meng J, Ahamed T, Yu B, Hung W, EI Mouridi S, Wang Z, Zhang Y, Wen Q, Boulin T, Gao S, Zhen M. A tonically active master neuron modulates mutually exclusive motor states at two timescales. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadk0002. [PMID: 38598630 PMCID: PMC11006214 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk0002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Continuity of behaviors requires animals to make smooth transitions between mutually exclusive behavioral states. Neural principles that govern these transitions are not well understood. Caenorhabditis elegans spontaneously switch between two opposite motor states, forward and backward movement, a phenomenon thought to reflect the reciprocal inhibition between interneurons AVB and AVA. Here, we report that spontaneous locomotion and their corresponding motor circuits are not separately controlled. AVA and AVB are neither functionally equivalent nor strictly reciprocally inhibitory. AVA, but not AVB, maintains a depolarized membrane potential. While AVA phasically inhibits the forward promoting interneuron AVB at a fast timescale, it maintains a tonic, extrasynaptic excitation on AVB over the longer timescale. We propose that AVA, with tonic and phasic activity of opposite polarities on different timescales, acts as a master neuron to break the symmetry between the underlying forward and backward motor circuits. This master neuron model offers a parsimonious solution for sustained locomotion consisted of mutually exclusive motor states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Meng
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Tosif Ahamed
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Bin Yu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Wesley Hung
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sonia EI Mouridi
- University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, MeLiS, CNRS UMR 5284, INSERM U1314, 69008 Lyon, France
| | - Zezhen Wang
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yongning Zhang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Quan Wen
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Thomas Boulin
- University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, MeLiS, CNRS UMR 5284, INSERM U1314, 69008 Lyon, France
| | - Shangbang Gao
- College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Mei Zhen
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
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5
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Nicoletti M, Chiodo L, Loppini A, Liu Q, Folli V, Ruocco G, Filippi S. Biophysical modeling of the whole-cell dynamics of C. elegans motor and interneurons families. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298105. [PMID: 38551921 PMCID: PMC10980225 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a widely used model organism for neuroscience. Although its nervous system has been fully reconstructed, the physiological bases of single-neuron functioning are still poorly explored. Recently, many efforts have been dedicated to measuring signals from C. elegans neurons, revealing a rich repertoire of dynamics, including bistable responses, graded responses, and action potentials. Still, biophysical models able to reproduce such a broad range of electrical responses lack. Realistic electrophysiological descriptions started to be developed only recently, merging gene expression data with electrophysiological recordings, but with a large variety of cells yet to be modeled. In this work, we contribute to filling this gap by providing biophysically accurate models of six classes of C. elegans neurons, the AIY, RIM, and AVA interneurons, and the VA, VB, and VD motor neurons. We test our models by comparing computational and experimental time series and simulate knockout neurons, to identify the biophysical mechanisms at the basis of inter and motor neuron functioning. Our models represent a step forward toward the modeling of C. elegans neuronal networks and virtual experiments on the nematode nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Nicoletti
- Department of Engineering, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science (CLN2S@Sapienza), Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy
| | - Letizia Chiodo
- Department of Engineering, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Loppini
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Qiang Liu
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Viola Folli
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science (CLN2S@Sapienza), Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy
- D-tails s.r.l., Rome, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Ruocco
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science (CLN2S@Sapienza), Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy
| | - Simonetta Filippi
- Department of Engineering, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Ottica del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR-INO), Florence, Italy
- ICRANet—International Center for Relativistic Astrophysics Network, Pescara, Italy
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6
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Lanza E, Lucente V, Nicoletti M, Schwartz S, Cavallo IF, Caprini D, Connor CW, Saifuddin MFA, Miller JM, L’Etoile ND, Folli V. See Elegans: Simple-to-use, accurate, and automatic 3D detection of neural activity from densely packed neurons. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0300628. [PMID: 38517838 PMCID: PMC10959381 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024] Open
Abstract
In the emerging field of whole-brain imaging at single-cell resolution, which represents one of the new frontiers to investigate the link between brain activity and behavior, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans offers one of the most characterized models for systems neuroscience. Whole-brain recordings consist of 3D time series of volumes that need to be processed to obtain neuronal traces. Current solutions for this task are either computationally demanding or limited to specific acquisition setups. Here, we propose See Elegans, a direct programming algorithm that combines different techniques for automatic neuron segmentation and tracking without the need for the RFP channel, and we compare it with other available algorithms. While outperforming them in most cases, our solution offers a novel method to guide the identification of a subset of head neurons based on position and activity. The built-in interface allows the user to follow and manually curate each of the processing steps. See Elegans is thus a simple-to-use interface aimed at speeding up the post-processing of volumetric calcium imaging recordings while maintaining a high level of accuracy and low computational demands. (Contact: enrico.lanza@iit.it).
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Lanza
- Center for Life Nano- and Neuro-Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria Lucente
- Center for Life Nano- and Neuro-Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Rome, Italy
- D-tails s.r.l., Rome, Italy
| | - Martina Nicoletti
- Center for Life Nano- and Neuro-Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Rome, Italy
- Department of Engineering, Campus Bio-Medico University, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Schwartz
- Center for Life Nano- and Neuro-Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Rome, Italy
| | - Ilaria F. Cavallo
- Center for Life Nano- and Neuro-Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Rome, Italy
- D-tails s.r.l., Rome, Italy
| | - Davide Caprini
- Center for Life Nano- and Neuro-Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Rome, Italy
| | - Christopher W. Connor
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Mashel Fatema A. Saifuddin
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
| | - Julia M. Miller
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
| | - Noelle D. L’Etoile
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
| | - Viola Folli
- Center for Life Nano- and Neuro-Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Rome, Italy
- D-tails s.r.l., Rome, Italy
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7
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Brissette B, Ficaro L, Li C, Jones DR, Ramanathan S, Ringstad N. Chemosensory detection of polyamine metabolites guides C. elegans to nutritive microbes. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadj4387. [PMID: 38517971 PMCID: PMC10959419 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj4387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
Much is known about molecular mechanisms by which animals detect pathogenic microbes, but how animals sense beneficial microbes remains poorly understood. The roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans is a microbivore that must distinguish nutritive microbes from pathogens. We characterized a neural circuit used by C. elegans to rapidly discriminate between nutritive bacteria and pathogens. Distinct sensory neuron populations responded to chemical cues from nutritive Escherichia coli and pathogenic Enterococcus faecalis, and these neural signals are decoded by downstream AIB interneurons. The polyamine metabolites cadaverine, putrescine, and spermidine produced by E. coli activate this neural circuit and elicit positive chemotaxis. Our study shows how polyamine odorants can be sensed by animals as proxies for microbe identity and suggests that, hence, polyamines might have widespread roles brokering host-microbe interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Brissette
- Department of Cell Biology, Neuroscience and Physiology, Neuroscience Institute, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Lia Ficaro
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Chenguang Li
- Biophysics Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Drew R. Jones
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Sharad Ramanathan
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Niels Ringstad
- Department of Cell Biology, Neuroscience and Physiology, Neuroscience Institute, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
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8
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Jee Lee H, Vallier J, Lu H. Microfluidic Localized Hydrogel Polymerization Enables Simultaneous Recording of Neural Activity and Behavior in C. elegans. REACT CHEM ENG 2024; 9:666-676. [PMID: 38680986 PMCID: PMC11046317 DOI: 10.1039/d3re00516j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Monitoring an animal's brain activity during motion provides a means to interpret the brain activity in the context of movement. However, it is challenging to obtain information about the animal's movement during neural imaging in the popular model organism C. elegans due to its small size. Here, we present a microfluidic tool to immobilize only the head region of C. elegans for simultaneous recording of neuronal activity and tail movement. We combine hydrogel photopolymerization and microfluidics to realize controlled head immobilization in a semi-continuous fashion. To optimize the immobilization process, we characterize the hydrogel polymerization under different experimental conditions, including under the effect of fluid flow. We show that the Damköhler number specifically defined for our reactive transport phenomena can predict the success of such photopolymerized hydrogels used for sample immobilization. In addition to simultaneous recording of neural activity and behavior in C. elegans, we demonstrate our method's capability to temporarily reconfigure fluid flow and deliver chemical stimuli to the animal's nose to examine the animal's responses. We envision this approach to be useful for similar recordings for other small motile organisms, as well as scenarios where microfluidics and polymerization are used to control flow and rection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyun Jee Lee
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA
| | - Julia Vallier
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA
| | - Hang Lu
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA
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9
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Dyballa L, Lang S, Haslund-Gourley A, Yemini E, Zucker SW. Learning dynamic representations of the functional connectome in neurobiological networks. ARXIV 2024:arXiv:2402.14102v2. [PMID: 38463505 PMCID: PMC10925416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
The static synaptic connectivity of neuronal circuits stands in direct contrast to the dynamics of their function. As in changing community interactions, different neurons can participate actively in various combinations to effect behaviors at different times. We introduce an unsupervised approach to learn the dynamic affinities between neurons in live, behaving animals, and to reveal which communities form among neurons at different times. The inference occurs in two major steps. First, pairwise non-linear affinities between neuronal traces from brain-wide calcium activity are organized by non-negative tensor factorization (NTF). Each factor specifies which groups of neurons are most likely interacting for an inferred interval in time, and for which animals. Finally, a generative model that allows for weighted community detection is applied to the functional motifs produced by NTF to reveal a dynamic functional connectome. Since time codes the different experimental variables (e.g., application of chemical stimuli), this provides an atlas of neural motifs active during separate stages of an experiment (e.g., stimulus application or spontaneous behaviors). Results from our analysis are experimentally validated, confirming that our method is able to robustly predict causal interactions between neurons to generate behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Samuel Lang
- Dept. Neurobiology, UMass Chan Medical School
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10
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Li R, Xu Y, Wen X, Chen YH, Wang PZ, Zhao JL, Wu PP, Wu JJ, Liu H, Huang JH, Li SJ, Wu ZX. GCY-20 signaling controls suppression of Caenorhabditis elegans egg laying by moderate cold. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113708. [PMID: 38294902 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Organisms sensing environmental cues and internal states and integrating the sensory information to control fecundity are essential for survival and proliferation. The present study finds that a moderate cold temperature of 11°C reduces egg laying in Caenorhabditis elegans. ASEL and AWC neurons sense the cold via GCY-20 signaling and act antagonistically on egg laying through the ASEL and AWC/AIA/HSN circuits. Upon cold stimulation, ASEL and AWC release glutamate to activate and inhibit AIA interneurons by acting on highly and lowly sensitive ionotropic GLR-2 and GLC-3 receptors, respectively. AIA inhibits HSN motor neuron activity via acetylcholinergic ACR-14 receptor signaling and suppresses egg laying. Thus, ASEL and AWC initiate and reduce the cold suppression of egg laying. ASEL's action on AIA and egg laying dominates AWC's action. The biased opposite actions of these neurons on egg laying provide animals with a precise adaptation of reproductive behavior to environmental temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Li
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yu Xu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xin Wen
- College of Life Science, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Yuan-Hua Chen
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ping-Zhou Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jia-Lu Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Piao-Ping Wu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jing-Jing Wu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Hui Liu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jia-Hao Huang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Si-Jia Li
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zheng-Xing Wu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
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11
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Manley J, Demas J, Kim H, Traub FM, Vaziri A. Simultaneous, cortex-wide and cellular-resolution neuronal population dynamics reveal an unbounded scaling of dimensionality with neuron number. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.15.575721. [PMID: 38293036 PMCID: PMC10827059 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.15.575721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
The brain's remarkable properties arise from collective activity of millions of neurons. Widespread application of dimensionality reduction to multi-neuron recordings implies that neural dynamics can be approximated by low-dimensional "latent" signals reflecting neural computations. However, what would be the biological utility of such a redundant and metabolically costly encoding scheme and what is the appropriate resolution and scale of neural recording to understand brain function? Imaging the activity of one million neurons at cellular resolution and near-simultaneously across mouse cortex, we demonstrate an unbounded scaling of dimensionality with neuron number. While half of the neural variance lies within sixteen behavior-related dimensions, we find this unbounded scaling of dimensionality to correspond to an ever-increasing number of internal variables without immediate behavioral correlates. The activity patterns underlying these higher dimensions are fine-grained and cortex-wide, highlighting that large-scale recording is required to uncover the full neural substrates of internal and potentially cognitive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Manley
- Laboratory of Neurotechnology and Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
- The Kavli Neural Systems Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Jeffrey Demas
- Laboratory of Neurotechnology and Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
- The Kavli Neural Systems Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Hyewon Kim
- Laboratory of Neurotechnology and Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Francisca Martínez Traub
- Laboratory of Neurotechnology and Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Alipasha Vaziri
- Laboratory of Neurotechnology and Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
- The Kavli Neural Systems Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Lead Contact
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12
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Lin C, Shan Y, Wang Z, Peng H, Li R, Wang P, He J, Shen W, Wu Z, Guo M. Molecular and circuit mechanisms underlying avoidance of rapid cooling stimuli in C. elegans. Nat Commun 2024; 15:297. [PMID: 38182628 PMCID: PMC10770330 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44638-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms by which animals respond to rapid changes in temperature are largely unknown. Here, we found that polymodal ASH sensory neurons mediate rapid cooling-evoked avoidance behavior within the physiological temperature range in C. elegans. ASH employs multiple parallel circuits that consist of stimulatory circuits (AIZ, RIA, AVA) and disinhibitory circuits (AIB, RIM) to respond to rapid cooling. In the stimulatory circuit, AIZ, which is activated by ASH, releases glutamate to act on both GLR-3 and GLR-6 receptors in RIA neurons to promote reversal, and ASH also directly or indirectly stimulates AVA to promote reversal. In the disinhibitory circuit, AIB is stimulated by ASH through the GLR-1 receptor, releasing glutamate to act on AVR-14 to suppress RIM activity. RIM, an inter/motor neuron, inhibits rapid cooling-evoked reversal, and the loop activities thus equally stimulate reversal. Our findings elucidate the molecular and circuit mechanisms underlying the acute temperature stimuli-evoked avoidance behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenxi Lin
- College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China
- College of Biomedicine and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Yuxin Shan
- College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China
- College of Biomedicine and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Zhongyi Wang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China
- College of Biomedicine and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Hui Peng
- College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China
| | - Rong Li
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, and Department of Biophysics and Molecular Physiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Pingzhou Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, and Department of Biophysics and Molecular Physiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Junyan He
- College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China
| | - Weiwei Shen
- College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China
| | - Zhengxing Wu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biophysics and Biochemistry, and Department of Biophysics and Molecular Physiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Min Guo
- College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China.
- College of Biomedicine and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
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13
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Ripoll-Sánchez L, Watteyne J, Sun H, Fernandez R, Taylor SR, Weinreb A, Bentley BL, Hammarlund M, Miller DM, Hobert O, Beets I, Vértes PE, Schafer WR. The neuropeptidergic connectome of C. elegans. Neuron 2023; 111:3570-3589.e5. [PMID: 37935195 PMCID: PMC7615469 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.09.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Efforts are ongoing to map synaptic wiring diagrams, or connectomes, to understand the neural basis of brain function. However, chemical synapses represent only one type of functionally important neuronal connection; in particular, extrasynaptic, "wireless" signaling by neuropeptides is widespread and plays essential roles in all nervous systems. By integrating single-cell anatomical and gene-expression datasets with biochemical analysis of receptor-ligand interactions, we have generated a draft connectome of neuropeptide signaling in the C. elegans nervous system. This network is characterized by high connection density, extended signaling cascades, autocrine foci, and a decentralized topology, with a large, highly interconnected core containing three constituent communities sharing similar patterns of input connectivity. Intriguingly, several key network hubs are little-studied neurons that appear specialized for peptidergic neuromodulation. We anticipate that the C. elegans neuropeptidergic connectome will serve as a prototype to understand how networks of neuromodulatory signaling are organized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidia Ripoll-Sánchez
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK; Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jan Watteyne
- Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - HaoSheng Sun
- Department of Biological Sciences/HHMI, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Robert Fernandez
- Department of Biological Sciences/HHMI, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Seth R Taylor
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Alexis Weinreb
- Departments of Genetics and Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Barry L Bentley
- Cardiff School of Technologies, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Marc Hammarlund
- Departments of Genetics and Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - David M Miller
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Oliver Hobert
- Department of Biological Sciences/HHMI, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Isabel Beets
- Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Petra E Vértes
- Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK
| | - William R Schafer
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK; Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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14
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Randi F, Sharma AK, Dvali S, Leifer AM. Neural signal propagation atlas of Caenorhabditis elegans. Nature 2023; 623:406-414. [PMID: 37914938 PMCID: PMC10632145 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06683-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
Establishing how neural function emerges from network properties is a fundamental problem in neuroscience1. Here, to better understand the relationship between the structure and the function of a nervous system, we systematically measure signal propagation in 23,433 pairs of neurons across the head of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans by direct optogenetic activation and simultaneous whole-brain calcium imaging. We measure the sign (excitatory or inhibitory), strength, temporal properties and causal direction of signal propagation between these neurons to create a functional atlas. We find that signal propagation differs from model predictions that are based on anatomy. Using mutants, we show that extrasynaptic signalling not visible from anatomy contributes to this difference. We identify many instances of dense-core-vesicle-dependent signalling, including on timescales of less than a second, that evoke acute calcium transients-often where no direct wired connection exists but where relevant neuropeptides and receptors are expressed. We propose that, in such cases, extrasynaptically released neuropeptides serve a similar function to that of classical neurotransmitters. Finally, our measured signal propagation atlas better predicts the neural dynamics of spontaneous activity than do models based on anatomy. We conclude that both synaptic and extrasynaptic signalling drive neural dynamics on short timescales, and that measurements of evoked signal propagation are crucial for interpreting neural function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Randi
- Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Anuj K Sharma
- Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Sophie Dvali
- Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Andrew M Leifer
- Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
- Princeton Neurosciences Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
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15
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Huang YC, Luo J, Huang W, Baker CM, Gomes MA, Meng B, Byrne AB, Flavell SW. A single neuron in C. elegans orchestrates multiple motor outputs through parallel modes of transmission. Curr Biol 2023; 33:4430-4445.e6. [PMID: 37769660 PMCID: PMC10860333 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.08.088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Animals generate a wide range of highly coordinated motor outputs, which allows them to execute purposeful behaviors. Individual neurons in the circuits that generate behaviors have a remarkable capacity for flexibility as they exhibit multiple axonal projections, transmitter systems, and modes of neural activity. How these multi-functional properties of neurons enable the generation of adaptive behaviors remains unknown. Here, we show that the HSN neuron in C. elegans evokes multiple motor programs over different timescales to enable a suite of behavioral changes during egg laying. Using HSN activity perturbations and in vivo calcium imaging, we show that HSN acutely increases egg laying and locomotion while also biasing the animals toward low-speed dwelling behavior over minutes. The acute effects of HSN on egg laying and high-speed locomotion are mediated by separate sets of HSN transmitters and different HSN axonal compartments. The long-lasting effects on dwelling are mediated in part by HSN release of serotonin, which is taken up and re-released by NSM, another serotonergic neuron class that directly evokes dwelling. Our results show how the multi-functional properties of a single neuron allow it to induce a coordinated suite of behaviors and also reveal that neurons can borrow serotonin from one another to control behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yung-Chi Huang
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jinyue Luo
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Wenjia Huang
- Department of Neurobiology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Casey M Baker
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Matthew A Gomes
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Bohan Meng
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Alexandra B Byrne
- Department of Neurobiology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Steven W Flavell
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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16
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Bechtel W, Bich L. Using neurons to maintain autonomy: Learning from C. elegans. Biosystems 2023; 232:105017. [PMID: 37666409 DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2023.105017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how biological organisms are autonomous-maintain themselves far from equilibrium through their own activities-requires understanding how they regulate those activities. In multicellular animals, such control can be exercised either via endocrine signaling through the vasculature or via neurons. In C. elegans this control is exercised by a well-delineated relatively small but distributed nervous system that relies on both chemical and electric transmission of signals. This system provides resources to integrate information from multiple sources as needed to maintain the organism. Especially important for the exercise of neural control are neuromodulators, which we present as setting agendas for control through more traditional electrical signaling. To illustrate how the C. elegans nervous system integrates multiple sources of information in controlling activities important for autonomy, we focus on feeding behavior and responses to adverse conditions. We conclude by considering how a distributed nervous system without a centralized controller is nonetheless adequate for autonomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Bechtel
- Department of Philosophy; University of California, San Diego; La Jolla, CA 92093-0119, USA.
| | - Leonardo Bich
- IAS-Research Centre for Life, Mind and Society; Department of Philosophy; University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU); Avenida de Tolosa 70; Donostia-San Sebastian, 20018; Spain.
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17
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Ding J, Peng L, Moon S, Lee HJ, Patel DS, Lu H. An expanded GCaMP reporter toolkit for functional imaging in Caenorhabditis elegans. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2023; 13:jkad183. [PMID: 37565483 PMCID: PMC10542313 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkad183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
In living organisms, changes in calcium flux are integral to many different cellular functions and are especially critical for the activity of neurons and myocytes. Genetically encoded calcium indicators (GECIs) have been popular tools for reporting changes in calcium levels in vivo. In particular, GCaMPs, derived from GFP, are the most widely used GECIs and have become an invaluable toolkit for neurophysiological studies. Recently, new variants of GCaMP, which offer a greater variety of temporal dynamics and improved brightness, have been developed. However, these variants are not readily available to the Caenorhabditis elegans research community. This work reports a set of GCaMP6 and jGCaMP7 reporters optimized for C. elegans studies. Our toolkit provides reporters with improved dynamic range, varied kinetics, and targeted subcellular localizations. Besides optimized routine uses, this set of reporters is also well suited for studies requiring fast imaging speeds and low magnification or low-cost platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jimmy Ding
- Interdisciplinary Bioengineering Graduate Program, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Lucinda Peng
- Interdisciplinary Bioengineering Graduate Program, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Sihoon Moon
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Hyun Jee Lee
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Dhaval S Patel
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Hang Lu
- Interdisciplinary Bioengineering Graduate Program, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
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18
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Atanas AA, Kim J, Wang Z, Bueno E, Becker M, Kang D, Park J, Kramer TS, Wan FK, Baskoylu S, Dag U, Kalogeropoulou E, Gomes MA, Estrem C, Cohen N, Mansinghka VK, Flavell SW. Brain-wide representations of behavior spanning multiple timescales and states in C. elegans. Cell 2023; 186:4134-4151.e31. [PMID: 37607537 PMCID: PMC10836760 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.07.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Changes in an animal's behavior and internal state are accompanied by widespread changes in activity across its brain. However, how neurons across the brain encode behavior and how this is impacted by state is poorly understood. We recorded brain-wide activity and the diverse motor programs of freely moving C. elegans and built probabilistic models that explain how each neuron encodes quantitative behavioral features. By determining the identities of the recorded neurons, we created an atlas of how the defined neuron classes in the C. elegans connectome encode behavior. Many neuron classes have conjunctive representations of multiple behaviors. Moreover, although many neurons encode current motor actions, others integrate recent actions. Changes in behavioral state are accompanied by widespread changes in how neurons encode behavior, and we identify these flexible nodes in the connectome. Our results provide a global map of how the cell types across an animal's brain encode its behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam A Atanas
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Computational and Systems Biology Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jungsoo Kim
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ziyu Wang
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Eric Bueno
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - McCoy Becker
- Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Di Kang
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jungyeon Park
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Talya S Kramer
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; MIT Biology Graduate Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Flossie K Wan
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Saba Baskoylu
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ugur Dag
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Elpiniki Kalogeropoulou
- School of Computing, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK; School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Matthew A Gomes
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Cassi Estrem
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Netta Cohen
- School of Computing, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Vikash K Mansinghka
- Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Steven W Flavell
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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19
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Kumar S, Sharma AK, Tran A, Liu M, Leifer AM. Inhibitory feedback from the motor circuit gates mechanosensory processing in Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002280. [PMID: 37733772 PMCID: PMC10617738 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals must integrate sensory cues with their current behavioral context to generate a suitable response. How this integration occurs is poorly understood. Previously, we developed high-throughput methods to probe neural activity in populations of Caenorhabditis elegans and discovered that the animal's mechanosensory processing is rapidly modulated by the animal's locomotion. Specifically, we found that when the worm turns it suppresses its mechanosensory-evoked reversal response. Here, we report that C. elegans use inhibitory feedback from turning-associated neurons to provide this rapid modulation of mechanosensory processing. By performing high-throughput optogenetic perturbations triggered on behavior, we show that turning-associated neurons SAA, RIV, and/or SMB suppress mechanosensory-evoked reversals during turns. We find that activation of the gentle-touch mechanosensory neurons or of any of the interneurons AIZ, RIM, AIB, and AVE during a turn is less likely to evoke a reversal than activation during forward movement. Inhibiting neurons SAA, RIV, and SMB during a turn restores the likelihood with which mechanosensory activation evokes reversals. Separately, activation of premotor interneuron AVA evokes reversals regardless of whether the animal is turning or moving forward. We therefore propose that inhibitory signals from SAA, RIV, and/or SMB gate mechanosensory signals upstream of neuron AVA. We conclude that C. elegans rely on inhibitory feedback from the motor circuit to modulate its response to sensory stimuli on fast timescales. This need for motor signals in sensory processing may explain the ubiquity in many organisms of motor-related neural activity patterns seen across the brain, including in sensory processing areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep Kumar
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Anuj K. Sharma
- Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Andrew Tran
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Mochi Liu
- Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Andrew M. Leifer
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
- Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
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20
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Zhan X, Chen C, Niu L, Du X, Lei Y, Dan R, Wang ZW, Liu P. Locomotion modulates olfactory learning through proprioception in C. elegans. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4534. [PMID: 37500635 PMCID: PMC10374624 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40286-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Locomotor activities can enhance learning, but the underlying circuit and synaptic mechanisms are largely unknown. Here we show that locomotion facilitates aversive olfactory learning in C. elegans by activating mechanoreceptors in motor neurons, and transmitting the proprioceptive information thus generated to locomotion interneurons through antidromic-rectifying gap junctions. The proprioceptive information serves to regulate experience-dependent activities and functional coupling of interneurons that process olfactory sensory information to produce the learning behavior. Genetic destruction of either the mechanoreceptors in motor neurons, the rectifying gap junctions between the motor neurons and locomotion interneurons, or specific inhibitory synapses among the interneurons impairs the aversive olfactory learning. We have thus uncovered an unexpected role of proprioception in a specific learning behavior as well as the circuit, synaptic, and gene bases for this function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Zhan
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China and Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430030, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Chao Chen
- Department of Orthopaedics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430022, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Department of Orthopaedics, Hefeng Central Hospital, 445800, Enshi, Hubei, China
| | - Longgang Niu
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, 06030, USA
| | - Xinran Du
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, 06030, USA
| | - Ying Lei
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China and Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430030, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Rui Dan
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China and Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430030, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Zhao-Wen Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, 06030, USA.
| | - Ping Liu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China and Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430030, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
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21
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Chandra R, Farah F, Muñoz-Lobato F, Bokka A, Benedetti KL, Brueggemann C, Saifuddin MFA, Miller JM, Li J, Chang E, Varshney A, Jimenez V, Baradwaj A, Nassif C, Alladin S, Andersen K, Garcia AJ, Bi V, Nordquist SK, Dunn RL, Garcia V, Tokalenko K, Soohoo E, Briseno F, Kaur S, Harris M, Guillen H, Byrd D, Fung B, Bykov AE, Odisho E, Tsujimoto B, Tran A, Duong A, Daigle KC, Paisner R, Zuazo CE, Lin C, Asundi A, Churgin MA, Fang-Yen C, Bremer M, Kato S, VanHoven MK, L'Étoile ND. Sleep is required to consolidate odor memory and remodel olfactory synapses. Cell 2023; 186:2911-2928.e20. [PMID: 37269832 PMCID: PMC10354834 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Animals with complex nervous systems demand sleep for memory consolidation and synaptic remodeling. Here, we show that, although the Caenorhabditis elegans nervous system has a limited number of neurons, sleep is necessary for both processes. In addition, it is unclear if, in any system, sleep collaborates with experience to alter synapses between specific neurons and whether this ultimately affects behavior. C. elegans neurons have defined connections and well-described contributions to behavior. We show that spaced odor-training and post-training sleep induce long-term memory. Memory consolidation, but not acquisition, requires a pair of interneurons, the AIYs, which play a role in odor-seeking behavior. In worms that consolidate memory, both sleep and odor conditioning are required to diminish inhibitory synaptic connections between the AWC chemosensory neurons and the AIYs. Thus, we demonstrate in a living organism that sleep is required for events immediately after training that drive memory consolidation and alter synaptic structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rashmi Chandra
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Fatima Farah
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Fernando Muñoz-Lobato
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Anirudh Bokka
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Kelli L Benedetti
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Chantal Brueggemann
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Mashel Fatema A Saifuddin
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Julia M Miller
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Joy Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Eric Chang
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Aruna Varshney
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Vanessa Jimenez
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Anjana Baradwaj
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Cibelle Nassif
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Sara Alladin
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Kristine Andersen
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Angel J Garcia
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Veronica Bi
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Sarah K Nordquist
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Raymond L Dunn
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Vanessa Garcia
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Kateryna Tokalenko
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Emily Soohoo
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Fabiola Briseno
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Sukhdeep Kaur
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Malcolm Harris
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Hazel Guillen
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Decklin Byrd
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Brandon Fung
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Andrew E Bykov
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Emma Odisho
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Bryan Tsujimoto
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Alan Tran
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Alex Duong
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Kevin C Daigle
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Rebekka Paisner
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Carlos E Zuazo
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Christine Lin
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Aarati Asundi
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Matthew A Churgin
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Christopher Fang-Yen
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Martina Bremer
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA
| | - Saul Kato
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Miri K VanHoven
- Department of Biological Sciences, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA.
| | - Noëlle D L'Étoile
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
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22
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Tsuyuzaki K, Yamamoto K, Toyoshima Y, Sato H, Kanamori M, Teramoto T, Ishihara T, Iino Y, Nikaido I. WormTensor: a clustering method for time-series whole-brain activity data from C. elegans. BMC Bioinformatics 2023; 24:254. [PMID: 37328814 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-023-05230-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the field of neuroscience, neural modules and circuits that control biological functions have been found throughout entire neural networks. Correlations in neural activity can be used to identify such neural modules. Recent technological advances enable us to measure whole-brain neural activity with single-cell resolution in several species including [Formula: see text]. Because current neural activity data in C. elegans contain many missing data points, it is necessary to merge results from as many animals as possible to obtain more reliable functional modules. RESULTS In this work, we developed a new time-series clustering method, WormTensor, to identify functional modules using whole-brain activity data from C. elegans. WormTensor uses a distance measure, modified shape-based distance to account for the lags and the mutual inhibition of cell-cell interactions and applies the tensor decomposition algorithm multi-view clustering based on matrix integration using the higher orthogonal iteration of tensors (HOOI) algorithm (MC-MI-HOOI), which can estimate both the weight to account for the reliability of data from each animal and the clusters that are common across animals. CONCLUSION We applied the method to 24 individual C. elegans and successfully found some known functional modules. Compared with a widely used consensus clustering method to aggregate multiple clustering results, WormTensor showed higher silhouette coefficients. Our simulation also showed that WormTensor is robust to contamination from noisy data. WormTensor is freely available as an R/CRAN package https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/WormTensor .
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Affiliation(s)
- Koki Tsuyuzaki
- Laboratory for Bioinformatics Research RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan.
| | - Kentaro Yamamoto
- Laboratory for Bioinformatics Research RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Yu Toyoshima
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Sato
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Manami Kanamori
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Takayuki Teramoto
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Kyushu University, 744, Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Takeshi Ishihara
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Kyushu University, 744, Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Yuichi Iino
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Itoshi Nikaido
- Laboratory for Bioinformatics Research RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan.
- Bioinformatics Course, Master's/Doctoral Program in Life Science Innovation (T-LSI), School of Integrative and Global Majors (SIGMA), University of Tsukuba, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan.
- Department of Functional Genome Informatics, Division of Biological Data Science, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan.
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23
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Levichev A, Faumont S, Berner RZ, Purcell Z, White AM, Chicas-Cruz K, Lockery SR. The conserved endocannabinoid anandamide modulates olfactory sensitivity to induce hedonic feeding in C. elegans. Curr Biol 2023; 33:1625-1639.e4. [PMID: 37084730 PMCID: PMC10175219 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023]
Abstract
The ability of cannabis to increase food consumption has been known for centuries. In addition to producing hyperphagia, cannabinoids can amplify existing preferences for calorically dense, palatable food sources, a phenomenon called hedonic amplification of feeding. These effects result from the action of plant-derived cannabinoids that mimic endogenous ligands called endocannabinoids. The high degree of conservation of cannabinoid signaling at the molecular level across the animal kingdom suggests hedonic feeding may also be widely conserved. Here, we show that exposure of Caenorhabditis elegans to anandamide, an endocannabinoid common to nematodes and mammals, shifts both appetitive and consummatory responses toward nutritionally superior food, an effect analogous to hedonic feeding. We find that anandamide's effect on feeding requires the C. elegans cannabinoid receptor NPR-19 but can also be mediated by the human CB1 cannabinoid receptor, indicating functional conservation between the nematode and mammalian endocannabinoid systems for the regulation of food preferences. Furthermore, anandamide has reciprocal effects on appetitive and consummatory responses to food, increasing and decreasing responses to inferior and superior foods, respectively. Anandamide's behavioral effects require the AWC chemosensory neurons, and anandamide renders these neurons more sensitive to superior foods and less sensitive to inferior foods, mirroring the reciprocal effects seen at the behavioral level. Our findings reveal a surprising degree of functional conservation in the effects of endocannabinoids on hedonic feeding across species and establish a new system to investigate the cellular and molecular basis of endocannabinoid system function in the regulation of food choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Levichev
- University of Oregon, Institute of Neuroscience, 1245 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Serge Faumont
- University of Oregon, Institute of Neuroscience, 1245 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Rachel Z Berner
- University of Oregon, Institute of Neuroscience, 1245 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Zhifeng Purcell
- University of Oregon, Institute of Neuroscience, 1245 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Amanda M White
- University of Oregon, Institute of Neuroscience, 1245 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Kathy Chicas-Cruz
- University of Oregon, Institute of Neuroscience, 1245 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Shawn R Lockery
- University of Oregon, Institute of Neuroscience, 1245 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA.
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24
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Pritz C, Itskovits E, Bokman E, Ruach R, Gritsenko V, Nelken T, Menasherof M, Azulay A, Zaslaver A. Principles for coding associative memories in a compact neural network. eLife 2023; 12:74434. [PMID: 37140557 PMCID: PMC10159626 DOI: 10.7554/elife.74434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
A major goal in neuroscience is to elucidate the principles by which memories are stored in a neural network. Here, we have systematically studied how four types of associative memories (short- and long-term memories, each as positive and negative associations) are encoded within the compact neural network of Caenorhabditis elegans worms. Interestingly, sensory neurons were primarily involved in coding short-term, but not long-term, memories, and individual sensory neurons could be assigned to coding either the conditioned stimulus or the experience valence (or both). Moreover, when considering the collective activity of the sensory neurons, the specific training experiences could be decoded. Interneurons integrated the modulated sensory inputs and a simple linear combination model identified the experience-specific modulated communication routes. The widely distributed memory suggests that integrated network plasticity, rather than changes to individual neurons, underlies the fine behavioral plasticity. This comprehensive study reveals basic memory-coding principles and highlights the central roles of sensory neurons in memory formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Pritz
- Department of Genetics, Silberman Institute for Life Sciences, Edmond J. Safra Campus, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Eyal Itskovits
- Department of Genetics, Silberman Institute for Life Sciences, Edmond J. Safra Campus, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Eduard Bokman
- Department of Genetics, Silberman Institute for Life Sciences, Edmond J. Safra Campus, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Rotem Ruach
- Department of Genetics, Silberman Institute for Life Sciences, Edmond J. Safra Campus, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Vladimir Gritsenko
- Department of Genetics, Silberman Institute for Life Sciences, Edmond J. Safra Campus, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Tal Nelken
- Department of Genetics, Silberman Institute for Life Sciences, Edmond J. Safra Campus, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Mai Menasherof
- Department of Genetics, Silberman Institute for Life Sciences, Edmond J. Safra Campus, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Aharon Azulay
- Department of Genetics, Silberman Institute for Life Sciences, Edmond J. Safra Campus, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Alon Zaslaver
- Department of Genetics, Silberman Institute for Life Sciences, Edmond J. Safra Campus, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
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25
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Lacquaniti F, La Scaleia B, Zago M. Noise and vestibular perception of passive self-motion. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1159242. [PMID: 37181550 PMCID: PMC10169592 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1159242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Noise defined as random disturbances is ubiquitous in both the external environment and the nervous system. Depending on the context, noise can degrade or improve information processing and performance. In all cases, it contributes to neural systems dynamics. We review some effects of various sources of noise on the neural processing of self-motion signals at different stages of the vestibular pathways and the resulting perceptual responses. Hair cells in the inner ear reduce the impact of noise by means of mechanical and neural filtering. Hair cells synapse on regular and irregular afferents. Variability of discharge (noise) is low in regular afferents and high in irregular units. The high variability of irregular units provides information about the envelope of naturalistic head motion stimuli. A subset of neurons in the vestibular nuclei and thalamus are optimally tuned to noisy motion stimuli that reproduce the statistics of naturalistic head movements. In the thalamus, variability of neural discharge increases with increasing motion amplitude but saturates at high amplitudes, accounting for behavioral violation of Weber's law. In general, the precision of individual vestibular neurons in encoding head motion is worse than the perceptual precision measured behaviorally. However, the global precision predicted by neural population codes matches the high behavioral precision. The latter is estimated by means of psychometric functions for detection or discrimination of whole-body displacements. Vestibular motion thresholds (inverse of precision) reflect the contribution of intrinsic and extrinsic noise to perception. Vestibular motion thresholds tend to deteriorate progressively after the age of 40 years, possibly due to oxidative stress resulting from high discharge rates and metabolic loads of vestibular afferents. In the elderly, vestibular thresholds correlate with postural stability: the higher the threshold, the greater is the postural imbalance and risk of falling. Experimental application of optimal levels of either galvanic noise or whole-body oscillations can ameliorate vestibular function with a mechanism reminiscent of stochastic resonance. Assessment of vestibular thresholds is diagnostic in several types of vestibulopathies, and vestibular stimulation might be useful in vestibular rehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Lacquaniti
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Department of Systems Medicine, Centre of Space Bio-medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Barbara La Scaleia
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Myrka Zago
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Department of Civil Engineering and Computer Science Engineering, Centre of Space Bio-medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
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26
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Huang YC, Luo J, Huang W, Baker CM, Gomes MA, Byrne AB, Flavell SW. A single neuron in C. elegans orchestrates multiple motor outputs through parallel modes of transmission. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.02.532814. [PMID: 37034579 PMCID: PMC10081309 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.02.532814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
Animals generate a wide range of highly coordinated motor outputs, which allows them to execute purposeful behaviors. Individual neuron classes in the circuits that generate behavior have a remarkable capacity for flexibility, as they exhibit multiple axonal projections, transmitter systems, and modes of neural activity. How these multi-functional properties of neurons enable the generation of highly coordinated behaviors remains unknown. Here we show that the HSN neuron in C. elegans evokes multiple motor programs over different timescales to enable a suite of behavioral changes during egg-laying. Using HSN activity perturbations and in vivo calcium imaging, we show that HSN acutely increases egg-laying and locomotion while also biasing the animals towards low-speed dwelling behavior over longer timescales. The acute effects of HSN on egg-laying and high-speed locomotion are mediated by separate sets of HSN transmitters and different HSN axonal projections. The long-lasting effects on dwelling are mediated by HSN release of serotonin that is taken up and re-released by NSM, another serotonergic neuron class that directly evokes dwelling. Our results show how the multi-functional properties of a single neuron allow it to induce a coordinated suite of behaviors and also reveal for the first time that neurons can borrow serotonin from one another to control behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yung-Chi Huang
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jinyue Luo
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Wenjia Huang
- Department of Neurobiology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Casey M. Baker
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Matthew A. Gomes
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Alexandra B. Byrne
- Department of Neurobiology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Steven W. Flavell
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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27
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Ding J, Peng L, Moon S, Lee HJ, Patel DS, Lu H. An expanded GCaMP reporter toolkit for functional imaging in C. elegans. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.06.531342. [PMID: 36945463 PMCID: PMC10028802 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.06.531342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
In living organisms, changes in calcium flux are integral to many different cellular functions and are especially critical for the activity of neurons and myocytes. Genetically encoded calcium indicators (GECIs) have been popular tools for reporting changes in calcium levels in vivo . In particular, GCaMP, derived from GFP, are the most widely used GECIs and have become an invaluable toolkit for neurophysiological studies. Recently, new variants of GCaMP, which offer a greater variety of temporal dynamics and improved brightness, have been developed. However, these variants are not readily available to the Caenorhabditis elegans research community. This work reports a set of GCaMP6 and jGCaMP7 reporters optimized for C. elegans studies. Our toolkit provides reporters with improved dynamic range, varied kinetics, and targeted subcellular localizations. Besides optimized routine uses, this set of reporters are also well-suited for studies requiring fast imaging speeds and low magnification or low-cost platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jimmy Ding
- These authors contributed equally
- Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Lucinda Peng
- These authors contributed equally
- Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Sihoon Moon
- These authors contributed equally
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Hyun Jee Lee
- These authors contributed equally
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Dhaval S. Patel
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
- Present address: NemaLife Inc, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
| | - Hang Lu
- Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
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28
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Mabardi L, Sato H, Toyoshima Y, Iino Y, Kunitomo H. Different modes of stimuli delivery elicit changes in glutamate driven, experience-dependent interneuron response in C. elegans. Neurosci Res 2023; 186:33-42. [PMID: 36252701 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2022.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Memory-related neuronal responses are often elicited by sensory stimuli that recapitulate previous experience. Despite the importance of this sensory input processing, its underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Caenorhabditis elegans chemotax towards salt concentrations experienced in the presence of food. The amphid sensory neurons ASE-left and ASE-right respond to increases and decreases of ambient salt concentration in opposite manners. AIA, AIB and AIY interneurons are post-synaptic to the ASE pair and are thought to be involved in the processing of salt information transmitted from ASE. However, it remains elusive how the responses of these interneurons are regulated by stimulus patterns. Here we show that AIY interneurons display an experience-dependent response to gradual salt concentration changes but not to abrupt stepwise concentration changes. Animals with AIY intact (but AIA and AIB ablated) chemotax towards low salt concentrations similarly to wild-type animals after cultivation with low salt. ASE neurons transmit salt information about the environment through glutamatergic signaling, directing the activity of the interneurons AIY that promote movement towards favorable conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Llian Mabardi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, 113-0033 Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Sato
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, 113-0033 Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yu Toyoshima
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, 113-0033 Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuichi Iino
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, 113-0033 Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Hirofumi Kunitomo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, 113-0033 Tokyo, Japan.
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29
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Liao CP, Chiang YC, Tam WH, Chen YJ, Chou SH, Pan CL. Neurophysiological basis of stress-induced aversive memory in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Curr Biol 2022; 32:5309-5322.e6. [PMID: 36455561 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Physiological stress induces aversive memory formation and profoundly impacts animal behavior. In C. elegans, concurrent mitochondrial disruption induces aversion to the bacteria that the animal inherently prefers, offering an experimental paradigm for studying the neural basis of aversive memory. We find that, under mitochondrial stress, octopamine secreted from the RIC modulatory neuron targets the AIY interneuron through the SER-6 receptor to trigger learned bacterial aversion. RIC responds to systemic mitochondrial stress by increasing octopamine synthesis and acts in the formation of aversive memory. AIY integrates sensory information, acts downstream of RIC, and is important for the retrieval of aversive memory. Systemic mitochondrial dysfunction induces RIC responses to bacterial cues that parallel stress induction, suggesting that physiological stress activates latent communication between RIC and the sensory neurons. These findings provide insights into the circuit and neuromodulatory mechanisms underlying stress-induced aversive memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chien-Po Liao
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, No. 7 Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei 10002, Taiwan; Center for Precision Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, No. 7 Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei 10002, Taiwan
| | - Yueh-Chen Chiang
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, No. 7 Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei 10002, Taiwan; Center for Precision Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, No. 7 Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei 10002, Taiwan
| | - Wai Hou Tam
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, No. 7 Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei 10002, Taiwan; Center for Precision Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, No. 7 Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei 10002, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Ju Chen
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, No. 7 Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei 10002, Taiwan; Center for Precision Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, No. 7 Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei 10002, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Hua Chou
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, No. 7 Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei 10002, Taiwan; Center for Precision Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, No. 7 Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei 10002, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Liang Pan
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, No. 7 Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei 10002, Taiwan; Center for Precision Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, No. 7 Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei 10002, Taiwan.
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30
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Ruach R, Yellinek S, Itskovits E, Deshe N, Eliezer Y, Bokman E, Zaslaver A. A negative feedback loop in the GPCR pathway underlies efficient coding of external stimuli. Mol Syst Biol 2022; 18:e10514. [PMID: 36106925 PMCID: PMC9476886 DOI: 10.15252/msb.202110514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Efficient navigation based on chemical cues is an essential feature shared by all animals. These cues may be encountered in complex spatiotemporal patterns and with orders of magnitude varying intensities. Nevertheless, sensory neurons accurately extract the relevant information from such perplexing signals. Here, we show how a single sensory neuron in Caenorhabditis elegans animals can cell‐autonomously encode complex stimulus patterns composed of instantaneous sharp changes and of slowly changing continuous gradients. This encoding relies on a simple negative feedback in the G‐protein‐coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling pathway in which TAX‐6/Calcineurin plays a key role in mediating the feedback inhibition. This negative feedback supports several important coding features that underlie an efficient navigation strategy, including exact adaptation and adaptation to the magnitude of the gradient's first derivative. A simple mathematical model explains the fine neural dynamics of both wild‐type and tax‐6 mutant animals, further highlighting how the calcium‐dependent activity of TAX‐6/Calcineurin dictates GPCR inhibition and response dynamics. As GPCRs are ubiquitously expressed in all sensory neurons, this mechanism may be a general solution for efficient cell‐autonomous coding of external stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rotem Ruach
- Department of Genetics, Silberman Institute of Life Science, Edmond J. Safra Campus, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Shai Yellinek
- Department of Genetics, Silberman Institute of Life Science, Edmond J. Safra Campus, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Eyal Itskovits
- Department of Genetics, Silberman Institute of Life Science, Edmond J. Safra Campus, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Noa Deshe
- Department of Genetics, Silberman Institute of Life Science, Edmond J. Safra Campus, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Yifat Eliezer
- Department of Genetics, Silberman Institute of Life Science, Edmond J. Safra Campus, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Eduard Bokman
- Department of Genetics, Silberman Institute of Life Science, Edmond J. Safra Campus, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Alon Zaslaver
- Department of Genetics, Silberman Institute of Life Science, Edmond J. Safra Campus, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
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31
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A set of hub neurons and non-local connectivity features support global brain dynamics in C. elegans. Curr Biol 2022; 32:3443-3459.e8. [PMID: 35809568 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.06.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The wiring architecture of neuronal networks is assumed to be a strong determinant of their dynamical computations. An ongoing effort in neuroscience is therefore to generate comprehensive synapse-resolution connectomes alongside brain-wide activity maps. However, the structure-function relationship, i.e., how the anatomical connectome and neuronal dynamics relate to each other on a global scale, remains unsolved. Systematically, comparing graph features in the C. elegans connectome with correlations in nervous system-wide neuronal dynamics, we found that few local connectivity motifs and mostly other non-local features such as triplet motifs and input similarities can predict functional relationships between neurons. Surprisingly, quantities such as connection strength and amount of common inputs do not improve these predictions, suggesting that the network's topology is sufficient. We demonstrate that hub neurons in the connectome are key to these relevant graph features. Consistently, inhibition of multiple hub neurons specifically disrupts brain-wide correlations. Thus, we propose that a set of hub neurons and non-local connectivity features provide an anatomical substrate for global brain dynamics.
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32
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Khan M, Hartmann AH, O’Donnell MP, Piccione M, Pandey A, Chao PH, Dwyer ND, Bargmann CI, Sengupta P. Context-dependent reversal of odorant preference is driven by inversion of the response in a single sensory neuron type. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001677. [PMID: 35696430 PMCID: PMC9232122 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The valence and salience of individual odorants are modulated by an animal’s innate preferences, learned associations, and internal state, as well as by the context of odorant presentation. The mechanisms underlying context-dependent flexibility in odor valence are not fully understood. Here, we show that the behavioral response of Caenorhabditis elegans to bacterially produced medium-chain alcohols switches from attraction to avoidance when presented in the background of a subset of additional attractive chemicals. This context-dependent reversal of odorant preference is driven by cell-autonomous inversion of the response to these alcohols in the single AWC olfactory neuron pair. We find that while medium-chain alcohols inhibit the AWC olfactory neurons to drive attraction, these alcohols instead activate AWC to promote avoidance when presented in the background of a second AWC-sensed odorant. We show that these opposing responses are driven via engagement of distinct odorant-directed signal transduction pathways within AWC. Our results indicate that context-dependent recruitment of alternative intracellular signaling pathways within a single sensory neuron type conveys opposite hedonic valences, thereby providing a robust mechanism for odorant encoding and discrimination at the periphery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Munzareen Khan
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Anna H. Hartmann
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Michael P. O’Donnell
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Madeline Piccione
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Anjali Pandey
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Pin-Hao Chao
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Noelle D. Dwyer
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | | | - Piali Sengupta
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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33
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Riedl J, Fieseler C, Zimmer M. Tyraminergic corollary discharge filters reafferent perception in a chemosensory neuron. Curr Biol 2022; 32:3048-3058.e6. [PMID: 35690069 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.05.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Interpreting sensory information requires its integration with the current behavior of the animal. However, how motor-related circuits influence sensory information processing is incompletely understood. Here, we report that current locomotor state directly modulates the activity of BAG CO2 sensory neurons in Caenorhabditis elegans. By recording neuronal activity in animals freely navigating CO2 landscapes, we found that during reverse crawling states, BAG activity is suppressed by tyraminergic corollary discharge signaling. We provide genetic evidence that tyramine released from the RIM reversal interneurons extrasynaptically activates the inhibitory chloride channel LGC-55 in BAG. Disrupting this pathway genetically leads to excessive behavioral responses to CO2 stimuli. Moreover, we find that LGC-55 signaling cancels out perception of self-produced CO2 and O2 stimuli when animals reverse into their own gas plume in ethologically relevant aqueous environments. Our results show that sensorimotor integration involves corollary discharge signals directly modulating chemosensory neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Riedl
- Department of Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Charles Fieseler
- Department of Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Manuel Zimmer
- Department of Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria; Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria.
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34
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Flavell SW, Gordus A. Dynamic functional connectivity in the static connectome of Caenorhabditis elegans. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2022; 73:102515. [PMID: 35183877 PMCID: PMC9621599 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
A hallmark of adaptive behavior is the ability to flexibly respond to sensory cues. To understand how neural circuits implement this flexibility, it is critical to resolve how a static anatomical connectome can be modulated such that functional connectivity in the network can be dynamically regulated. Here, we review recent work in the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans on this topic. EM studies have mapped anatomical connectomes of many C. elegans animals, highlighting the level of stereotypy in the anatomical network. Brain-wide calcium imaging and studies of specified neural circuits have uncovered striking flexibility in the functional coupling of neurons. The coupling between neurons is controlled by neuromodulators that act over long timescales. This gives rise to persistent behavioral states that animals switch between, allowing them to generate adaptive behavioral responses across environmental conditions. Thus, the dynamic coupling of neurons enables multiple behavioral states to be encoded in a physically stereotyped connectome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven W Flavell
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Andrew Gordus
- Department of Biology, Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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35
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Chen L, Liu Y, Su P, Hung W, Li H, Wang Y, Yue Z, Ge MH, Wu ZX, Zhang Y, Fei P, Chen LM, Tao L, Mao H, Zhen M, Gao S. Escape steering by cholecystokinin peptidergic signaling. Cell Rep 2022; 38:110330. [PMID: 35139370 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Escape is an evolutionarily conserved and essential avoidance response. Considered to be innate, most studies on escape responses focused on hard-wired circuits. We report here that a neuropeptide NLP-18 and its cholecystokinin receptor CKR-1 enable the escape circuit to execute a full omega (Ω) turn. We demonstrate in vivo NLP-18 is mainly secreted by the gustatory sensory neuron (ASI) to activate CKR-1 in the head motor neuron (SMD) and the turn-initiating interneuron (AIB). Removal of NLP-18 or CKR-1 or specific knockdown of CKR-1 in SMD or AIB neurons leads to shallower turns, hence less robust escape steering. Consistently, elevation of head motor neuron (SMD)'s Ca2+ transients during escape steering is attenuated upon the removal of NLP-18 or CKR-1. In vitro, synthetic NLP-18 directly evokes CKR-1-dependent currents in oocytes and CKR-1-dependent Ca2+ transients in SMD. Thus, cholecystokinin peptidergic signaling modulates an escape circuit to generate robust escape steering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Chen
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, P.R. China
| | - Yuting Liu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, P.R. China
| | - Pan Su
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, P.R. China
| | - Wesley Hung
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1X5, Canada
| | - Haiwen Li
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, P.R. China; LMAM, School of Mathematical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, P.R. China
| | - Ya Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, P.R. China
| | - Zhongpu Yue
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, P.R. China
| | - Ming-Hai Ge
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, P.R. China
| | - Zheng-Xing Wu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, P.R. China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, P.R. China
| | - Peng Fei
- School of Optical and Electronic Information, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, P.R. China
| | - Li-Ming Chen
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, P.R. China
| | - Louis Tao
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, P.R. China
| | - Heng Mao
- LMAM, School of Mathematical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, P.R. China
| | - Mei Zhen
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1X5, Canada
| | - Shangbang Gao
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, P.R. China.
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36
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Yang W, Wu T, Tu S, Qin Y, Shen C, Li J, Choi MK, Duan F, Zhang Y. Redundant neural circuits regulate olfactory integration. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010029. [PMID: 35100258 PMCID: PMC8830790 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Olfactory integration is important for survival in a natural habitat. However, how the nervous system processes signals of two odorants present simultaneously to generate a coherent behavioral response is poorly understood. Here, we characterize circuit basis for a form of olfactory integration in Caenorhabditis elegans. We find that the presence of a repulsive odorant, 2-nonanone, that signals threat strongly blocks the attraction of other odorants, such as isoamyl alcohol (IAA) or benzaldehyde, that signal food. Using a forward genetic screen, we found that genes known to regulate the structure and function of sensory neurons, osm-5 and osm-1, played a critical role in the integration process. Loss of these genes mildly reduces the response to the repellent 2-nonanone and disrupts the integration effect. Restoring the function of OSM-5 in either AWB or ASH, two sensory neurons known to mediate 2-nonanone-evoked avoidance, is sufficient to rescue. Sensory neurons AWB and downstream interneurons AVA, AIB, RIM that play critical roles in olfactory sensorimotor response are able to process signals generated by 2-nonanone or IAA or the mixture of the two odorants and contribute to the integration. Thus, our results identify redundant neural circuits that regulate the robust effect of a repulsive odorant to block responses to attractive odorants and uncover the neuronal and cellular basis for this complex olfactory task. In their natural environment, animals, including humans, encounter complex olfactory stimuli. Thus, how the brain processes multiple sensory cues to generate a coherent behavioral output is critical for the survival of the animal. In the present study, we combined molecular cellular genetics, optical physiology and behavioral analysis to study a common olfactory phenomenon in which the presence of one odorant blocks the response to another. Our results show that the integrated response is regulated by redundant neuronal circuits that engage several interneurons essential for olfactory sensorimotor responses, a mechanism that likely ensures a robust behavioral response to sensory cues representing information critical for survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxing Yang
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Physiology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- * E-mail: (WY); (YZ)
| | - Taihong Wu
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Shasha Tu
- Department of Physiology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yuang Qin
- Department of Physiology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Chengchen Shen
- Department of Physiology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Jiangyun Li
- Department of Physiology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Myung-Kyu Choi
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Fengyun Duan
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Yun Zhang
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail: (WY); (YZ)
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37
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Pradhan S, Hendricks M. Observing and Quantifying Fluorescent Reporters. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2468:73-87. [PMID: 35320561 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2181-3_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Genetically encoded fluorescent reporters take advantage of C. elegans' transparency to allow non-invasive, in vivo observation, and recording of physiological processes in intact animals. Here, we discuss the basic microscope components required to observe, image, and measure fluorescent proteins in live animals for students and researchers who work with C. elegans but have limited experience with fluorescence imaging and analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sreeparna Pradhan
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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38
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Liu M, Kumar S, Sharma AK, Leifer AM. A high-throughput method to deliver targeted optogenetic stimulation to moving C. elegans populations. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001524. [PMID: 35089912 PMCID: PMC8827482 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
We present a high-throughput optogenetic illumination system capable of simultaneous closed-loop light delivery to specified targets in populations of moving Caenorhabditis elegans. The instrument addresses three technical challenges: It delivers targeted illumination to specified regions of the animal's body such as its head or tail; it automatically delivers stimuli triggered upon the animal's behavior; and it achieves high throughput by targeting many animals simultaneously. The instrument was used to optogenetically probe the animal's behavioral response to competing mechanosensory stimuli in the the anterior and posterior gentle touch receptor neurons. Responses to more than 43,418 stimulus events from a range of anterior-posterior intensity combinations were measured. The animal's probability of sprinting forward in response to a mechanosensory stimulus depended on both the anterior and posterior stimulation intensity, while the probability of reversing depended primarily on the anterior stimulation intensity. We also probed the animal's response to mechanosensory stimulation during the onset of turning, a relatively rare behavioral event, by delivering stimuli automatically when the animal began to turn. Using this closed-loop approach, over 9,700 stimulus events were delivered during turning onset at a rate of 9.2 events per worm hour, a greater than 25-fold increase in throughput compared to previous investigations. These measurements validate with greater statistical power previous findings that turning acts to gate mechanosensory evoked reversals. Compared to previous approaches, the current system offers targeted optogenetic stimulation to specific body regions or behaviors with many fold increases in throughput to better constrain quantitative models of sensorimotor processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mochi Liu
- Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Sandeep Kumar
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Anuj K. Sharma
- Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Andrew M. Leifer
- Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
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39
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Bergs A, Henss T, Glock C, Nagpal J, Gottschalk A. Microbial Rhodopsin Optogenetic Tools: Application for Analyses of Synaptic Transmission and of Neuronal Network Activity in Behavior. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2468:89-115. [PMID: 35320562 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2181-3_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Over the past 15 years, optogenetic methods have revolutionized neuroscientific and cell biological research, also in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. In this chapter, we give an update about current optogenetic tools and methods to address neuronal activity and inhibition, as well as second messenger signaling, based on microbial rhodopsins. We address channelrhodopsins and variants thereof, which conduct cations or anions, for depolarization and hyperpolarization of the membrane potential. Also, we cover ion pumping rhodopsins, like halorhodopsin, Mac, and Arch. A recent addition to rhodopsin-based optogenetics is voltage imaging tools that allow fluorescent readout of membrane voltage (directly, via fluorescence of the rhodopsin chromophore retinal, or indirectly, via electrochromic FRET). Last, we report on a new addition to the optogenetic toolbox, which is rhodopsin guanylyl cyclases, as well as mutated variants with specificity for cyclic AMP. These can be used to regulate intracellular levels of cGMP and cAMP, which are important second messengers in sensory and other neurons. We further show how they can be combined with cyclic nucleotide-gated channels in two-component optogenetics, for depolarization or hyperpolarization of membrane potential. For all tools, we present protocols for straightforward experimentation to address neuronal activation and inhibition, particularly at the neuromuscular junction, and for combined optogenetic actuation and Ca2+ imaging. We also provide protocols for usage of rhodopsin guanylyl and adenylyl cyclases. Finally, we list a number of points to consider when designing and conducting rhodopsin-based optogenetic experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelie Bergs
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Thilo Henss
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Caspar Glock
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
- Max-Planck-Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Jatin Nagpal
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Alexander Gottschalk
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.
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40
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Abstract
Studies of C. elegans behavior have been crucial in identifying genetic pathways that control nervous system development and function, as well as basic principles of neural circuit function. Modern analysis of C. elegans behavior commonly relies on video recordings of animals, followed by automated image analysis and behavior quantification. Here, we describe two methods for recording and quantifying C. elegans behavior: a single-worm tracking approach that provides high-resolution behavioral data for individual animals and a multi-worm tracking approach that allows for quantification of the behavior of many animals in parallel. These approaches should be useful to a wide range of researchers studying the nervous system and behavior of C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Navin Pokala
- Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Theobald Science Center, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, NY, USA.
| | - Steven W Flavell
- Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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41
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Ji N, Madan GK, Fabre GI, Dayan A, Baker CM, Kramer TS, Nwabudike I, Flavell SW. A neural circuit for flexible control of persistent behavioral states. eLife 2021; 10:e62889. [PMID: 34792019 PMCID: PMC8660023 DOI: 10.7554/elife.62889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
To adapt to their environments, animals must generate behaviors that are closely aligned to a rapidly changing sensory world. However, behavioral states such as foraging or courtship typically persist over long time scales to ensure proper execution. It remains unclear how neural circuits generate persistent behavioral states while maintaining the flexibility to select among alternative states when the sensory context changes. Here, we elucidate the functional architecture of a neural circuit controlling the choice between roaming and dwelling states, which underlie exploration and exploitation during foraging in C. elegans. By imaging ensemble-level neural activity in freely moving animals, we identify stereotyped changes in circuit activity corresponding to each behavioral state. Combining circuit-wide imaging with genetic analysis, we find that mutual inhibition between two antagonistic neuromodulatory systems underlies the persistence and mutual exclusivity of the neural activity patterns observed in each state. Through machine learning analysis and circuit perturbations, we identify a sensory processing neuron that can transmit information about food odors to both the roaming and dwelling circuits and bias the animal towards different states in different sensory contexts, giving rise to context-appropriate state transitions. Our findings reveal a potentially general circuit architecture that enables flexible, sensory-driven control of persistent behavioral states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ni Ji
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Gurrein K Madan
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Guadalupe I Fabre
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Alyssa Dayan
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Casey M Baker
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Talya S Kramer
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
- MIT Biology Graduate Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Ijeoma Nwabudike
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Steven W Flavell
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
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42
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Sordillo A, Bargmann CI. Behavioral control by depolarized and hyperpolarized states of an integrating neuron. eLife 2021; 10:e67723. [PMID: 34738904 PMCID: PMC8570696 DOI: 10.7554/elife.67723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Coordinated transitions between mutually exclusive motor states are central to behavioral decisions. During locomotion, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans spontaneously cycles between forward runs, reversals, and turns with complex but predictable dynamics. Here, we provide insight into these dynamics by demonstrating how RIM interneurons, which are active during reversals, act in two modes to stabilize both forward runs and reversals. By systematically quantifying the roles of RIM outputs during spontaneous behavior, we show that RIM lengthens reversals when depolarized through glutamate and tyramine neurotransmitters and lengthens forward runs when hyperpolarized through its gap junctions. RIM is not merely silent upon hyperpolarization: RIM gap junctions actively reinforce a hyperpolarized state of the reversal circuit. Additionally, the combined outputs of chemical synapses and gap junctions from RIM regulate forward-to-reversal transitions. Our results indicate that multiple classes of RIM synapses create behavioral inertia during spontaneous locomotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aylesse Sordillo
- Lulu and Anthony Wang Laboratory of Neural Circuits and Behavior, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Cornelia I Bargmann
- Lulu and Anthony Wang Laboratory of Neural Circuits and Behavior, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
- Chan Zuckerberg InitiativeRedwood CityUnited States
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43
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Hulse BK, Haberkern H, Franconville R, Turner-Evans DB, Takemura SY, Wolff T, Noorman M, Dreher M, Dan C, Parekh R, Hermundstad AM, Rubin GM, Jayaraman V. A connectome of the Drosophila central complex reveals network motifs suitable for flexible navigation and context-dependent action selection. eLife 2021; 10:66039. [PMID: 34696823 PMCID: PMC9477501 DOI: 10.7554/elife.66039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Flexible behaviors over long timescales are thought to engage recurrent neural networks in deep brain regions, which are experimentally challenging to study. In insects, recurrent circuit dynamics in a brain region called the central complex (CX) enable directed locomotion, sleep, and context- and experience-dependent spatial navigation. We describe the first complete electron-microscopy-based connectome of the Drosophila CX, including all its neurons and circuits at synaptic resolution. We identified new CX neuron types, novel sensory and motor pathways, and network motifs that likely enable the CX to extract the fly's head-direction, maintain it with attractor dynamics, and combine it with other sensorimotor information to perform vector-based navigational computations. We also identified numerous pathways that may facilitate the selection of CX-driven behavioral patterns by context and internal state. The CX connectome provides a comprehensive blueprint necessary for a detailed understanding of network dynamics underlying sleep, flexible navigation, and state-dependent action selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brad K Hulse
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Hannah Haberkern
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Romain Franconville
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | | | | | - Tanya Wolff
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Marcella Noorman
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Marisa Dreher
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Chuntao Dan
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Ruchi Parekh
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | | | - Gerald M Rubin
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Vivek Jayaraman
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
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44
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Steymans I, Pujol-Lereis LM, Brembs B, Gorostiza EA. Collective action or individual choice: Spontaneity and individuality contribute to decision-making in Drosophila. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256560. [PMID: 34437617 PMCID: PMC8389364 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Our own unique character traits make our behavior consistent and define our individuality. Yet, this consistency does not entail that we behave repetitively like machines. Like humans, animals also combine personality traits with spontaneity to produce adaptive behavior: consistent, but not fully predictable. Here, we study an iconically rigid behavioral trait, insect phototaxis, that nevertheless also contains both components of individuality and spontaneity. In a light/dark T-maze, approximately 70% of a group of Drosophila fruit flies choose the bright arm of the T-Maze, while the remaining 30% walk into the dark. Taking the photopositive and the photonegative subgroups and re-testing them reveals the spontaneous component: a similar 70–30 distribution emerges in each of the two subgroups. Increasing the number of choices to ten choices, reveals the individuality component: flies with an extremely negative series of first choices were more likely to show photonegative behavior in subsequent choices and vice versa. General behavioral traits, independent of light/dark preference, contributed to the development of this individuality. The interaction of individuality and spontaneity together explains why group averages, even for such seemingly stereotypical behaviors, are poor predictors of individual choices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Steymans
- Institut für Zoologie - Neurogenetik, Universität Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Luciana M. Pujol-Lereis
- Laboratory of Amyloidosis and Neurodegeneration, Fundación Instituto Leloir, IIBBA, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Björn Brembs
- Institut für Zoologie - Neurogenetik, Universität Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- * E-mail: (EAG); (BB)
| | - E. Axel Gorostiza
- Institut für Zoologie - Neurogenetik, Universität Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE) CONICET - Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- * E-mail: (EAG); (BB)
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45
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Hallinen KM, Dempsey R, Scholz M, Yu X, Linder A, Randi F, Sharma AK, Shaevitz JW, Leifer AM. Decoding locomotion from population neural activity in moving C. elegans. eLife 2021; 10:66135. [PMID: 34323218 PMCID: PMC8439659 DOI: 10.7554/elife.66135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated the neural representation of locomotion in the nematode C. elegans by recording population calcium activity during movement. We report that population activity more accurately decodes locomotion than any single neuron. Relevant signals are distributed across neurons with diverse tunings to locomotion. Two largely distinct subpopulations are informative for decoding velocity and curvature, and different neurons’ activities contribute features relevant for different aspects of a behavior or different instances of a behavioral motif. To validate our measurements, we labeled neurons AVAL and AVAR and found that their activity exhibited expected transients during backward locomotion. Finally, we compared population activity during movement and immobilization. Immobilization alters the correlation structure of neural activity and its dynamics. Some neurons positively correlated with AVA during movement become negatively correlated during immobilization and vice versa. This work provides needed experimental measurements that inform and constrain ongoing efforts to understand population dynamics underlying locomotion in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey M Hallinen
- Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, United States
| | - Ross Dempsey
- Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, United States
| | - Monika Scholz
- Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, United States
| | - Xinwei Yu
- Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, United States
| | - Ashley Linder
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, United States
| | - Francesco Randi
- Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, United States
| | - Anuj K Sharma
- Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, United States
| | - Joshua W Shaevitz
- Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, United States.,Lewis-Sigler Institute of Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, United States
| | - Andrew M Leifer
- Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, United States.,Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, United States
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46
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Weber AI, Shea-Brown E, Rieke F. Identification of Multiple Noise Sources Improves Estimation of Neural Responses across Stimulus Conditions. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0191-21.2021. [PMID: 34083382 PMCID: PMC8260275 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0191-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Most models of neural responses are constructed to reproduce the average response to inputs but lack the flexibility to capture observed variability in responses. The origins and structure of this variability have significant implications for how information is encoded and processed in the nervous system, both by limiting information that can be conveyed and by determining processing strategies that are favorable for minimizing its negative effects. Here, we present a new modeling framework that incorporates multiple sources of noise to better capture observed features of neural response variability across stimulus conditions. We apply this model to retinal ganglion cells at two different ambient light levels and demonstrate that it captures the full distribution of responses. Further, the model reveals light level-dependent changes that could not be seen with previous models, showing both large changes in rectification of nonlinear circuit elements and systematic differences in the contributions of different noise sources under different conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison I Weber
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Eric Shea-Brown
- Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Fred Rieke
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
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47
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Sato H, Kunitomo H, Fei X, Hashimoto K, Iino Y. Glutamate signaling from a single sensory neuron mediates experience-dependent bidirectional behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans. Cell Rep 2021; 35:109177. [PMID: 34038738 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Orientation and navigation behaviors of animals are modulated by past experiences. However, little is known about the mechanisms by which sensory inputs are translated into multi-directional orientation behaviors in an experience-dependent manner. Here, we report a neural mechanism for bidirectional salt-concentration chemotaxis of Caenorhabditis elegans. The salt-sensing neuron ASE right (ASER) is always activated by a decrease of salt concentration, while the directionality of reorientation behaviors is inverted depending on previous salt experiences. AIB, the interneuron postsynaptic to ASER, and neurons farther downstream of AIB show experience-dependent bidirectional responses, which are correlated with reorientation behaviors. These bidirectional behavioral and neural responses are mediated by glutamate released from ASER. Glutamate acts through the excitatory glutamate receptor GLR-1 and inhibitory glutamate receptor AVR-14, both acting in AIB. These findings suggest that experience-dependent reorientation behaviors are generated by altering the magnitude of excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic signals from a sensory neuron to interneurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirofumi Sato
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 113-0033 Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Kunitomo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 113-0033 Tokyo, Japan
| | - Xianfeng Fei
- Department of Intelligent Information, Faculty of Science and Technology, Tohoku Bunka Gakuen University, 981-8551 Sendai, Japan
| | - Koichi Hashimoto
- Department of System Information Sciences, Graduate School of Information Sciences, Tohoku University, 980-8579 Sendai, Japan
| | - Yuichi Iino
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 113-0033 Tokyo, Japan.
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48
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Ji N, Venkatachalam V, Rodgers HD, Hung W, Kawano T, Clark CM, Lim M, Alkema MJ, Zhen M, Samuel ADT. Corollary discharge promotes a sustained motor state in a neural circuit for navigation. eLife 2021; 10:e68848. [PMID: 33880993 PMCID: PMC8139836 DOI: 10.7554/elife.68848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals exhibit behavioral and neural responses that persist on longer timescales than transient or fluctuating stimulus inputs. Here, we report that Caenorhabditis elegans uses feedback from the motor circuit to a sensory processing interneuron to sustain its motor state during thermotactic navigation. By imaging circuit activity in behaving animals, we show that a principal postsynaptic partner of the AFD thermosensory neuron, the AIY interneuron, encodes both temperature and motor state information. By optogenetic and genetic manipulation of this circuit, we demonstrate that the motor state representation in AIY is a corollary discharge signal. RIM, an interneuron that is connected with premotor interneurons, is required for this corollary discharge. Ablation of RIM eliminates the motor representation in AIY, allows thermosensory representations to reach downstream premotor interneurons, and reduces the animal's ability to sustain forward movements during thermotaxis. We propose that feedback from the motor circuit to the sensory processing circuit underlies a positive feedback mechanism to generate persistent neural activity and sustained behavioral patterns in a sensorimotor transformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ni Ji
- Department of Physics and Center for Brain Science, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
| | - Vivek Venkatachalam
- Department of Physics and Center for Brain Science, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
| | - Hillary Denise Rodgers
- Department of Physics and Center for Brain Science, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterUnited States
| | - Wesley Hung
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai HospitalTorontoCanada
- Departments of Molecular Genetics, and Physiology, University of TorontoTorontoCanada
| | - Taizo Kawano
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai HospitalTorontoCanada
- Departments of Molecular Genetics, and Physiology, University of TorontoTorontoCanada
| | - Christopher M Clark
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterUnited States
| | - Maria Lim
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai HospitalTorontoCanada
- Departments of Molecular Genetics, and Physiology, University of TorontoTorontoCanada
| | - Mark J Alkema
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterUnited States
| | - Mei Zhen
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai HospitalTorontoCanada
- Departments of Molecular Genetics, and Physiology, University of TorontoTorontoCanada
| | - Aravinthan DT Samuel
- Department of Physics and Center for Brain Science, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
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49
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Hino T, Hirai S, Ishihara T, Fujiwara M. EGL-4/PKG regulates the role of an interneuron in a chemotaxis circuit of C. elegans through mediating integration of sensory signals. Genes Cells 2021; 26:411-425. [PMID: 33817914 DOI: 10.1111/gtc.12849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Interneurons, innervated by multiple sensory neurons, need to integrate information from these sensory neurons and respond to sensory stimuli adequately. Mechanisms how sensory information is integrated to form responses of interneurons are not fully understood. In Caenorhabditis elegans, loss-of-function mutations of egl-4, which encodes a cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG), cause a defect in chemotaxis to odorants. Our genetic and imaging analyses revealed that the response property of AIY interneuron to an odorant is reversed in the egl-4 mutant, while the responses of two upstream olfactory neurons, AWA and AWC, are largely unchanged. Cell- ablation experiments show that AIY in the egl-4 mutant functions to suppress chemotaxis. Furthermore, the reversal of AIY response occurs only in the presence of sensory signals from both AWA and AWC. These results suggest that sensory signals are inadequately integrated in the egl-4 mutant. We also show that egl-4 expression in AWA and another sensory neuron prevents the reversed AIY response and restores chemotaxis in the egl-4 mutants. We propose that EGL-4/PKG, by suppressing aberrant integration of signals from olfactory neurons, converts the response property of an interneuron to olfactory stimuli and maintains the role of the interneuron in the circuit to execute chemotactic behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takahiro Hino
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Shota Hirai
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Takeshi Ishihara
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Manabi Fujiwara
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
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50
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Ferkey DM, Sengupta P, L’Etoile ND. Chemosensory signal transduction in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2021; 217:iyab004. [PMID: 33693646 PMCID: PMC8045692 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyab004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemosensory neurons translate perception of external chemical cues, including odorants, tastants, and pheromones, into information that drives attraction or avoidance motor programs. In the laboratory, robust behavioral assays, coupled with powerful genetic, molecular and optical tools, have made Caenorhabditis elegans an ideal experimental system in which to dissect the contributions of individual genes and neurons to ethologically relevant chemosensory behaviors. Here, we review current knowledge of the neurons, signal transduction molecules and regulatory mechanisms that underlie the response of C. elegans to chemicals, including pheromones. The majority of identified molecules and pathways share remarkable homology with sensory mechanisms in other organisms. With the development of new tools and technologies, we anticipate that continued study of chemosensory signal transduction and processing in C. elegans will yield additional new insights into the mechanisms by which this animal is able to detect and discriminate among thousands of chemical cues with a limited sensory neuron repertoire.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise M Ferkey
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| | - Piali Sengupta
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA
| | - Noelle D L’Etoile
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
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