Calcium dynamics regulating the timing of decision-making in <i>C. elegans</i>

Brains regulate behavioral responses with distinct timings. Here we investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the timing of decision-making during olfactory navigation in Caenorhabditis elegans. We find that, based on subtle changes in odor concentrations, the animals appear to choose the appropriate migratory direction from multiple trials as a form of behavioral decision-making. Through optophysiological, mathematical and genetic analyses of neural activity under virtual odor gradients, we further find that odor concentration information is temporally integrated for a decision by a gradual increase in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i), which occurs via L-type voltage-gated calcium channels in a pair of olfactory neurons. In contrast, for a reflex-like behavioral response, [Ca2+]i rapidly increases via multiple types of calcium channels in a pair of nociceptive neurons. Thus, the timing of neuronal responses is determined by cell type-dependent involvement of calcium channels, which may serve as a cellular basis for decision-making

Neuronal Control of Metabolism through Nutrient-Dependent Modulation of Tracheal Branching

SummaryDuring adaptive angiogenesis, a key process in the etiology and treatment of cancer and obesity, the vasculature changes to meet the metabolic needs of its target tissues. Although the cues governing vascular remodeling are not fully understood, target-derived signals are generally believed to underlie this process. Here, we identify an alternative mechanism by characterizing the previously unrecognized nutrient-dependent plasticity of the Drosophila tracheal system: a network of oxygen-delivering tubules developmentally akin to mammalian blood vessels. We find that this plasticity, particularly prominent in the intestine, drives—rather than responds to—metabolic change. Mechanistically, it is regulated by distinct populations of nutrient- and oxygen-responsive neurons that, through delivery of both local and systemic insulin- and VIP-like neuropeptides, sculpt the growth of specific tracheal subsets. Thus, we describe a novel mechanism by which nutritional cues modulate neuronal activity to give rise to organ-specific, long-lasting changes in vascular architecture

Natural variation in a neural globin tunes oxygen sensing in wild Caenorhabditis elegans.

(Note:A. Persson and E Gross contributed equally to this study.)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Specific ion channels control sensory gain, sensitivity, and kinetics in a tonic thermonociceptor

Pain sensation and aversive behaviors entail the activation of nociceptor neurons, whose function is largely conserved across animals. The functional heterogeneity of nociceptors and ethical concerns are challenges for their study in mammalian models. Here, we investigate the function of a single type of genetically identified C. elegans thermonociceptor named FLP. Using calcium imaging in vivo, we demonstrate that FLP encodes thermal information in a tonic and graded manner over a wide thermal range spanning from noxious cold to noxious heat (8°C–36°C). This tonic-signaling mode allows FLP to trigger sustained behavioral changes necessary for escape behavior. Furthermore, we identify specific transient receptor potential, voltage-gated calcium, and sodium “leak” channels controlling sensory gain, thermal sensitivity, and signal kinetics, respectively, and show that the ryanodine receptor is required for long- lasting activation. Our work elucidates the task distribution among specific ion channels to achieve remarkable sensory properties in a tonic thermonociceptor in vivo

Social creatures : model animal systems for studying the neuroendocrine mechanisms of social behaviour

The interaction of animals with conspecifics, termed social behaviour, has a major impact on the survival of many vertebrate species. Neuropeptide hormones modulate the underlying physiology that governs social interactions, and many findings concerning the neuroendocrine mechanisms of social behaviours have been extrapolated from animal models to humans. Neurones expressing neuropeptides show similar distribution patterns within the hypothalamic nucleus, even when evolutionarily distant species are compared. During evolution, hypothalamic neuropeptides and releasing hormones have retained not only their structures, but also their biological functions, including their effects on behaviour. Here, we review the current understanding of the mechanisms of social behaviours in several classes of animals, such as worms, insects and fish, as well as laboratory, wild and domesticated mammals.Medical Research Council, Grant/Award Number: MR/N004574/1; Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Grant/Award Number: BB/S000224/1 and BB/S000801; Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Grant/Award Number: BO 1958/8-2 and GRK 2174; United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation, Grant/Award Number: #2017325; Israel Science Foundation, Grant/Award Number: #1511/16; Wellcome Trust, Grant/Award Number: 109614/Z/15/Zhttp://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/jnehj2020Immunolog

Data from: Calcium dynamics regulating the timing of decision-making in C. elegans

Brains regulate behavioral responses with distinct timings. Here we investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the timing of decision-making during olfactory navigation in Caenorhabditis elegans. We find that, based on subtle changes in odor concentrations, the animals appear to choose the appropriate migratory direction from multiple trials as a form of behavioral decision-making. Through optophysiological, mathematical and genetic analyses of neural activity under virtual odor gradients, we further find that odor concentration information is temporally integrated for a decision by a gradual increase in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i), which occurs via L-type voltage-gated calcium channels in a pair of olfactory neurons. In contrast, for a reflex-like behavioral response, [Ca2+]i rapidly increases via multiple types of calcium channels in a pair of nociceptive neurons. Thus, the timing of neuronal responses is determined by cell type-dependent involvement of calcium channels, which may serve as a cellular basis for decision-making

The data of 100 worms during odor avoidance behavior.

The Excel sheets contains x and y positions (mm), the odor concentration at the position (micro-M) and the behavioral states (Run or Pirouette) of 100 animals during 121-720 s of the odor avoidance assay. This dataset was used in Figures 1 and 2