The structure of the nervous system of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

1986 ◽  
Vol 314 (1165) ◽  
pp. 1-340 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Neuromuscular Junctions ◽  
Synaptic Connections ◽  
Serial Sections ◽  
Nematode Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Invariant Structure ◽  
Parallel Processes ◽  
Total Complement ◽  
Chemical Synapses

The structure and connectivity of the nervous system of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has been deduced from reconstructions of electron micrographs of serial sections. The hermaphrodite nervous system has a total complement of 302 neurons, which are arranged in an essentially invariant structure. Neurons with similar morphologies and connectivities have been grouped together into classes; there are 118 such classes. Neurons have simple morphologies with few, if any, branches. Processes from neurons run in defined positions within bundles of parallel processes, synaptic connections being made en passant . Process bundles are arranged longitudinally and circumferentially and are often adjacent to ridges of hypodermis. Neurons are generally highly locally connected, making synaptic connections with many of their neighbours. Muscle cells have arms that run out to process bundles containing motoneuron axons. Here they receive their synaptic input in defined regions along the surface of the bundles, where motoneuron axons reside. Most of the m orphologically identifiable synaptic connections in a typical animal are described. These consist of about 5000 chemical synapses, 2000 neuromuscular junctions and 600 gap junctions.

scholarly journals The beginning of connectomics: a commentary on White et al. (1986) ‘The structure of the nervous system of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans ’

2015 ◽  
Vol 370 (1666) ◽  
pp. 20140309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott W. Emmons
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Synaptic Connections ◽  
Nematode Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Synaptic Structure ◽  
Complete Set ◽  
The Mind ◽  
First Time ◽  
350Th Anniversary

The article ‘Structure of the nervous system of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans ' (aka ‘The mind of a worm’) by White et al. , published for the first time the complete set of synaptic connections in the nervous system of an animal. The work was carried out as part of a programme to begin to understand how genes determine the structure of a nervous system and how a nervous system creates behaviour. It became a major stimulus to the field of C. elegans research, which has since contributed insights into all areas of biology. Twenty-six years elapsed before developments, notably more powerful computers, made new studies of this kind possible. It is hoped that one day knowledge of synaptic structure, the connectome , together with results of many other investigations, will lead to an understanding of the human brain. This commentary was written to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society .

scholarly journals μ2 adaptin facilitates but is not essential for synaptic vesicle recycling in Caenorhabditis elegans

2008 ◽  
Vol 183 (5) ◽  
pp. 881-892 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mingyu Gu ◽  
Kim Schuske ◽  
Shigeki Watanabe ◽  
Qiang Liu ◽  
Paul Baum ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Synaptic Vesicle ◽  
Synaptic Vesicles ◽  
Evoked Responses ◽  
Nematode Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Synaptic Vesicle Recycling ◽  
Specific Loss ◽  
Vesicle Recycling ◽  
Cargo Proteins

Synaptic vesicles must be recycled to sustain neurotransmission, in large part via clathrin-mediated endocytosis. Clathrin is recruited to endocytic sites on the plasma membrane by the AP2 adaptor complex. The medium subunit (μ2) of AP2 binds to cargo proteins and phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate on the cell surface. Here, we characterize the apm-2 gene (also called dpy-23), which encodes the only μ2 subunit in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. APM-2 is highly expressed in the nervous system and is localized to synapses; yet specific loss of APM-2 in neurons does not affect locomotion. In apm-2 mutants, clathrin is mislocalized at synapses, and synaptic vesicle numbers and evoked responses are reduced to 60 and 65%, respectively. Collectively, these data suggest AP2 μ2 facilitates but is not essential for synaptic vesicle recycling.

Optogenetic analyses of neuronal network function and synaptic transmission in Caenorhabditis elegans

e-Neuroforum ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Gottschalk
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Optical Sensors ◽  
Behavioral Change ◽  
Nematode Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Ideal Model ◽  
Network Function ◽  
Primary Signal ◽  
Ideal Model System ◽  
Chemical Synapses ◽  
Stimulation Of

AbstractThe transparent nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, with its anatomically well-defined nervous system comprising 302 neurons that regulate quantifiable behaviors, is an ideal model system for the development and ap­plication of optogenetic methods. Optoge­netically modified neurons can be acutely ex­cited or inhibited by light and the effects on a distinct behavior observed. Special light­ing systems allow the manipulation of several nerve cells that act as “nodes” of small neural circuits, with different colors of light, so as to control different optogenetic tools indepen­dently and simultaneously. In addition, ge­netically encoded optical sensors for neuro­nal activity make it possible to draw conclu­sions even when the optogenetic interven­tion causes no obvious behavioral change. The stimulation of quantifiable behaviors permits the analysis of the function of genes necessary in the corresponding neuron for the encoding or amplification of the primary signal. Finally, following optogenetic stimu­lation, the function of chemical synapses and their proteins can also be analyzed by elec­trophysiology or electron microscopy.

Neuronal damage induced by nanopolystyrene particles in nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (8) ◽  
pp. 2591-2601 ◽  
Author(s):  
Man Qu ◽  
Yan Kong ◽  
Yujie Yuan ◽  
Dayong Wang
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Neuronal Damage ◽  
Nematode Caenorhabditis Elegans

Our observations highlight the potential of nanoplastics in inducing damage on both development and functions of nervous system after long-term exposure.

Ancestral roles of glia suggested by the nervous system of Caenorhabditis elegans

2007 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maxwell G. Heiman ◽  
Shai Shaham
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Glial Cell ◽  
Glial Cells ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Neuronal Morphology ◽  
Sensory Organs ◽  
Nematode Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
C Elegans

AbstractThe nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has a simple nervous system with glia restricted primarily to sensory organs. Some of the activities that would be provided by glia in the mammalian nervous system are either absent or provided by non-glial cell types in C. elegans, with only a select set of mammalian glial activities being similarly provided by specialized glial cells in this animal. These observations suggest that ancestral roles of glia may be to modulate neuronal morphology and neuronal sensitivity in sensory organs.

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