Noninvasive mechanochemical imaging in unconstrained Caenorhabditis elegans

Physical forces are transduced into chemical reactions, thereby ultimately making a large impact on the whole-animal level phenotypes such as homeostasis, development and behavior. To understand mechano-chemical transduction, mechanical input should be quantitatively delivered with controllable vibration properties–frequency, amplitude and duration, and its chemical output should be noninvasively quantified in an unconstrained animal. However, such an experimental system has not been established so far. Here, we develop a noninvasive and unconstrained mechanochemical imaging microscopy. This microscopy enables us to evoke nano-scale nonlocalized vibrations with controllable vibration properties using a piezoelectric acoustic transducer system and quantify calcium response of a freely moving C. elegans at a single cell resolution. Using this microscopy, we clearly detected the calcium response of a single interneuron during C. elegans escape response to nano-scale vibration. Thus, this microscopy will facilitate understanding of in vivo mechanochemical physiology in the future

Noninvasive mechanochemical imaging in unconstrained Caenorhabditis elegans

Physical forces are transduced into chemical reactions, thereby ultimately making a large impact on the whole-animal level phenotypes such as homeostasis, development and behavior. To understand mechano-chemical transduction, mechanical input should be quantitatively delivered with controllable vibration properties–frequency, amplitude and duration, and its chemical output should be noninvasively quantified in an unconstrained animal. However, such an experimental system has not been established so far. Here, we develop a noninvasive and unconstrained mechanochemical imaging microscopy. This microscopy enables us to evoke nano-scale nonlocalized vibrations with controllable vibration properties using a piezoelectric acoustic transducer system and quantify calcium response of a freely moving C. elegans at a single cell resolution. Using this microscopy, we clearly detected the calcium response of a single interneuron during C. elegans escape response to nano-scale vibration. Thus, this microscopy will facilitate understanding in vivo mechanochemical physiology in the future

Calcium imaging in freely behaving Caenorhabditis elegans with well-controlled, nonlocalized vibrations

Nonlocalized mechanical forces, such as vibrations and acoustic waves, influence a wide variety of biological processes from development to homeostasis. Animals cope with these stimuli by modifying their behavior. Understanding the mechanisms underlying such behavioral modification requires quantification of neural activity during the behavior of interest. Here, we report a method for calcium imaging in freely behaving Caenorhabditis elegans with nonlocalized vibration of specific frequency, displacement, and duration. This method allows the production of well-controlled, nonlocalized vibration using an acoustic transducer and quantification of evoked calcium responses at single-cell resolution. As a proof of principle, the calcium response of a single interneuron, AVA, during the escape response of C. elegans to vibration is demonstrated. This system will facilitate understanding of neural mechanisms underlying behavioral responses to mechanical stimuli