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Sharma AK, Randi F, Kumar S, Dvali S, Leifer AM. TWISP: a transgenic worm for interrogating signal propagation in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2024; 227:iyae077. [PMID: 38733622 PMCID: PMC11228852 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyae077] [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: 02/11/2024] [Revised: 02/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Genetically encoded optical indicators and actuators of neural activity allow for all-optical investigations of signaling in the nervous system. But commonly used indicators, actuators, and expression strategies are poorly suited for systematic measurements of signal propagation at brain scale and cellular resolution. Large-scale measurements of the brain require indicators and actuators with compatible excitation spectra to avoid optical crosstalk. They must be highly expressed in every neuron but at the same time avoid lethality and permit the animal to reach adulthood. Their expression must also be compatible with additional fluorescent labels to locate and identify neurons, such as those in the NeuroPAL cell identification system. We present TWISP, a transgenic worm for interrogating signal propagation, that addresses these needs and enables optical measurements of evoked calcium activity at brain scale and cellular resolution in the nervous system of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. In every neuron we express a nonconventional optical actuator, the gustatory receptor homolog GUR-3 + PRDX-2, under the control of a drug-inducible system QF + hGR, and a calcium indicator GCAMP6s, in a background with additional fluorophores from the NeuroPAL cell ID system. We show that this combination, but not others tested, avoids optical crosstalk, creates strong expression in the adult, and generates stable transgenic lines for systematic measurements of signal propagation in the worm brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuj Kumar Sharma
- Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Francesco Randi
- Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Sandeep Kumar
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Sophie Dvali
- Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Andrew M Leifer
- Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
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Cheng H, Chen D, Li X, Al-Sheikh U, Duan D, Fan Y, Zhu L, Zeng W, Hu Z, Tong X, Zhao G, Zhang Y, Zou W, Duan S, Kang L. Phasic/tonic glial GABA differentially transduce for olfactory adaptation and neuronal aging. Neuron 2024; 112:1473-1486.e6. [PMID: 38447577 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.02.006] [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: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Phasic (fast) and tonic (sustained) inhibition of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) are fundamental for regulating day-to-day activities, neuronal excitability, and plasticity. However, the mechanisms and physiological functions of glial GABA transductions remain poorly understood. Here, we report that the AMsh glia in Caenorhabditis elegans exhibit both phasic and tonic GABAergic signaling, which distinctively regulate olfactory adaptation and neuronal aging. Through genetic screening, we find that GABA permeates through bestrophin-9/-13/-14 anion channels from AMsh glia, which primarily activate the metabolic GABAB receptor GBB-1 in the neighboring ASH sensory neurons. This tonic action of glial GABA regulates the age-associated changes of ASH neurons and olfactory responses via a conserved signaling pathway, inducing neuroprotection. In addition, the calcium-evoked, vesicular glial GABA release acts upon the ionotropic GABAA receptor LGC-38 in ASH neurons to regulate olfactory adaptation. These findings underscore the fundamental significance of glial GABA in maintaining healthy aging and neuronal stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hankui Cheng
- Department of Neurology of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital and School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu 322000, China; MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain machine Integration, NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, China
| | - Du Chen
- Department of Neurology of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital and School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu 322000, China; MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain machine Integration, NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, China
| | - Xiao Li
- Department of Neurology of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital and School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu 322000, China; MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain machine Integration, NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, China
| | - Umar Al-Sheikh
- Department of Neurology of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital and School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu 322000, China; MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain machine Integration, NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, China
| | - Duo Duan
- Department of Neurology of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital and School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu 322000, China; MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain machine Integration, NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, China
| | - Yuedan Fan
- Department of Neurology of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital and School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu 322000, China; MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain machine Integration, NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, China
| | - Linhui Zhu
- Department of Neurology of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital and School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu 322000, China; MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain machine Integration, NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, China
| | - Wanxin Zeng
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhitao Hu
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, China
| | - Xiajing Tong
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Guohua Zhao
- Department of Neurology of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital and School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu 322000, China
| | - Yongming Zhang
- Department of Ophthalmology of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu 322000, China
| | - Wenjuan Zou
- Department of Neurology of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital and School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu 322000, China; MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain machine Integration, NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, China
| | - Shumin Duan
- MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain machine Integration, NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, China
| | - Lijun Kang
- Department of Neurology of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital and School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu 322000, China; MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain machine Integration, NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, China.
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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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Hassinan CW, Sterrett SC, Summy B, Khera A, Wang A, Bai J. Dimensionality of locomotor behaviors in developing C. elegans. PLoS Comput Biol 2024; 20:e1011906. [PMID: 38437243 PMCID: PMC10939432 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011906] [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: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Adult animals display robust locomotion, yet the timeline and mechanisms of how juvenile animals acquire coordinated movements and how these movements evolve during development are not well understood. Recent advances in quantitative behavioral analyses have paved the way for investigating complex natural behaviors like locomotion. In this study, we tracked the swimming and crawling behaviors of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans from postembryonic development through to adulthood. Our principal component analyses revealed that adult C. elegans swimming is low dimensional, suggesting that a small number of distinct postures, or eigenworms, account for most of the variance in the body shapes that constitute swimming behavior. Additionally, we found that crawling behavior in adult C. elegans is similarly low dimensional, corroborating previous studies. Further, our analysis revealed that swimming and crawling are distinguishable within the eigenworm space. Remarkably, young L1 larvae are capable of producing the postural shapes for swimming and crawling seen in adults, despite frequent instances of uncoordinated body movements. In contrast, late L1 larvae exhibit robust coordination of locomotion, while many neurons crucial for adult locomotion are still under development. In conclusion, this study establishes a comprehensive quantitative behavioral framework for understanding the neural basis of locomotor development, including distinct gaits such as swimming and crawling in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cera W Hassinan
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Scott C Sterrett
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Brennan Summy
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Arnav Khera
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Angie Wang
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Pomona College, Claremont, California, United States of America
| | - Jihong Bai
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
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Hassinan CW, Sterrett SC, Summy B, Khera A, Wang A, Bai J. A Quantitative Analysis of Locomotor Patterns in Developing C. elegans. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.03.543584. [PMID: 37333370 PMCID: PMC10274735 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.03.543584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Adult animals display robust locomotion, yet the timeline and mechanisms of how juvenile animals acquire coordinated movements and how these movements evolve during development are not well understood. Recent advances in quantitative behavioral analyses have paved the way for investigating complex natural behaviors like locomotion. In this study, we tracked the swimming and crawling behaviors of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans from postembryonic development through to adulthood. Our principal component analyses revealed that adult C. elegans swimming is low dimensional, suggesting that a small number of distinct postures, or eigenworms, account for most of the variance in the body shapes that constitute swimming behavior. Additionally, we found that crawling behavior in adult C. elegans is similarly low dimensional, corroborating previous studies. However, our analysis revealed that swimming and crawling are distinct gaits in adult animals, clearly distinguishable within the eigenworm space. Remarkably, young L1 larvae are capable of producing the postural shapes for swimming and crawling seen in adults, despite frequent instances of uncoordinated body movements. In contrast, late L1 larvae exhibit robust coordination of locomotion, while many neurons crucial for adult locomotion are still under development. In conclusion, this study establishes a comprehensive quantitative behavioral framework for understanding the neural basis of locomotor development, including distinct gaits such as swimming and crawling in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cera W. Hassinan
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue N., Seattle, WA 98109, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98019, USA
| | - Scott C. Sterrett
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Brennan Summy
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue N., Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Arnav Khera
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue N., Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Angie Wang
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue N., Seattle, WA 98109, USA
- Pomona College, 333 N College Way, Claremont, CA 91711, USA
| | - Jihong Bai
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue N., Seattle, WA 98109, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98019, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, WA 98195, USA
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Haspel G, Cohen N. Neurodevelopment: Maintaining function during circuit reconfiguration. Curr Biol 2022; 32:R1226-R1228. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.09.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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