Questions, Feedback & Help
Send us an email and we'll get back to you ASAP. Or you can read our Frequently Asked Questions.
  • page settings
  • hide sidebar
  • show empty fields
  • layout
  • (too narrow)
  • open all
  • close all
Resources » Paper

Jesse M Gray et al. (2003) International Worm Meeting "A neural circuit for chemotaxis in C. elegans."

  • History

  • Referenced

  • Tree Display

  • My Favorites

  • My Library

  • Comments on Jesse M Gray et al. (2003) International Worm Meeting "A neural circuit for chemotaxis in C. elegans." (0)

  • Overview

    Status:
    Publication type:
    Meeting_abstract
    WormBase ID:
    WBPaper00019026

    Jesse M Gray, & Cornelia I Bargmann (2003). A neural circuit for chemotaxis in C. elegans presented in International Worm Meeting. Unpublished information; cite only with author permission.

    The behavior of humans and other animals is generated by neural circuits. Elucidating the logic of information processing in circuits is an important step in understanding how behavior is generated. We are studying the C. elegans chemotaxis circuit, a simple circuit that nevertheless carries out complex behaviors.Previous work has demonstrated that C. elegans can chemotax to water-soluble attractants sensed by the ASE neurons via a biased random walk (1), during which periods of relatively straight movement are interrupted by pirouettes (bouts of turning that consist of reversals and omega bends). When worms detect an increase in attractant, they suppress pirouettes, and when they detect a decrease in attractant, they stimulate pirouettes. We have created temporal gradients of odors to demonstrate that a similar biased random walk strategy can also be used by the AWC neurons during chemotaxis to volatile odors. Because the neurons downstream of AWC and ASE have been mapped anatomically, this circuit offers a unique opportunity to ask how a neural circuit can direct a biased random walk.We are addressing this question by using a laser to ablate neurons in the circuit and assessing the effects on pirouettes. On food, worms execute frequent short reversals. Upon removal from food, short reversals are suppressed in favor of long reversals and omega bends. The frequency of these pirouettes decays with starvation, and after half an hour, pirouettes are rare. Some amphid neurons, including AFD and AWC, modulate these changes in pirouette frequency. Downstream interneurons, including AIY, AIB, and RIB are also involved. The interneurons RIV, whose synaptic output has substantial dorsal/ventral asymmetry (2), appear to be specifically involved in the omega bend, which always occurs in the ventral direction. The command interneurons AVA modulate both short and long reversals. Motor neurons in the head and neck, including RIM, SMD, and RMD, are also important for circuit output. 1. Pierce-Shimomura et al. (1999) J Neurosci. 19(21), 9557-69; 2. White et al. (1986) Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 314, 1-340.


    Tip: Seeing your name marked red? Please help us identify you.