Automated imaging of neuronal activity in freely behaving Caenorhabditis elegans

Sleep homeostasis manifests as a relative constancy of its daily amount and intensity. Theoretical descriptions define ‘Process S’, a variable with dynamics dependent on global sleep-wake history, and reflected in electroencephalogram (EEG) slow wave activity (SWA, 0.5–4 Hz) during sleep. The notion of sleep as a local, activity-dependent process suggests that activity history must be integrated to determine the dynamics of global Process S. Here, we developed novel mathematical models of Process S based on cortical activity recorded in freely behaving mice, describing local Process S as a function of the deviation of neuronal firing rates from a locally defined set-point, independent of global sleep-wake state. Averaging locally derived Processes S and their rate parameters yielded values resembling those obtained from EEG SWA and global vigilance states. We conclude that local Process S dynamics reflects neuronal activity integrated over time, and global Process S reflects local processes integrated over space.

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Brain-wide 3D imaging of neuronal activity in Caenorhabditis elegans with sculpted light

Nature Methods ◽

10.1038/nmeth.2637 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 1013-1020 ◽

Cited By ~ 185

Author(s):

Tina Schrödel ◽

Robert Prevedel ◽

Karin Aumayr ◽

Manuel Zimmer ◽

Alipasha Vaziri

Keyword(s):

Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽

Neuronal Activity ◽

3D Imaging

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Presynaptic MAST kinase controls opposing postsynaptic responses to convey stimulus valence in Caenorhabditis elegans

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ◽

10.1073/pnas.1909240117 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 117 (3) ◽

pp. 1638-1647 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Shunji Nakano ◽

Muneki Ikeda ◽

Yuki Tsukada ◽

Xianfeng Fei ◽

Takamasa Suzuki ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽

Diacylglycerol Kinase ◽

Inhibitory Response ◽

Thermal Gradients ◽

Postsynaptic Neuron ◽

Presynaptic Neuron ◽

Presynaptic Plasticity ◽

Freely Behaving ◽

Stimulus Valence ◽

Thermal Stimuli

Presynaptic plasticity is known to modulate the strength of synaptic transmission. However, it remains unknown whether regulation in presynaptic neurons can evoke excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic responses. We report here that the Caenorhabditis elegans homologs of MAST kinase, Stomatin, and Diacylglycerol kinase act in a thermosensory neuron to elicit in its postsynaptic neuron an excitatory or inhibitory response that correlates with the valence of thermal stimuli. By monitoring neural activity of the valence-coding interneuron in freely behaving animals, we show that the alteration between excitatory and inhibitory responses of the interneuron is mediated by controlling the balance of two opposing signals released from the presynaptic neuron. These alternative transmissions further generate opposing behavioral outputs necessary for the navigation on thermal gradients. Our findings suggest that valence-encoding interneuronal activity is determined by a presynaptic mechanism whereby MAST kinase, Stomatin, and Diacylglycerol kinase influence presynaptic outputs.

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