scholarly journals Beyond the connectome: A map of a brain architecture derived from whole-brain volumetric reconstructions

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher A. Brittin ◽  
Steven J. Cook ◽  
David H. Hall ◽  
Scott W. Emmons ◽  
Netta Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
System Organization ◽  
Nerve Ring ◽  
Behavioral Impairment ◽  
Brain Organization ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Volumetric Reconstruction ◽  
High Level ◽  
Gap Junctional ◽  
The Brain

ABSTRACTAnimal nervous system organization is crucial for all body functions and its disruption can manifest in severe cognitive and behavioral impairment. This organization relies on features across scales, from nano-level localization of synapses, through multiplicities of neuronal morphologies and their contribution to circuit organization, to the high level stereotyped connections between different regions of the brain. The sheer complexity of this organ means that to date, we have yet to reconstruct and model the structure of a complete nervous system that is integrated across all these scales. Here, we present a complete structure-function model of the nematode C. elegans main neuropil, the nerve ring, which we derive by integrating the volumetric reconstruction from two animals with corresponding synaptic and gap junctional connectomes. Whereas previously the nerve ring was considered a densely packed tract of axons, we uncover internal organization into 5 functional bundles and show how they spatially constrain and support the synaptic connectome. We find that the C. elegans connectome is not invariant, but that a precisely wired core circuit is embedded in a background of variable connectivity, and propose a corresponding reference connectome for the core circuit. Using this reference, we show that the architecture of the C. elegans brain can be viewed as a modular Residual Network that supports sensory computation and integration, sensory-motor convergence, and brain-wide coordination. These findings point to scalable and robust features of brain organization that are likely universal across phyla.

scholarly journals Natural sensory context drives diverse brain-wide activity during C. elegans mating

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladislav Susoy ◽  
Wesley Hung ◽  
Daniel Witvliet ◽  
Joshua E. Whitener ◽  
Min Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Behavioral Context ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Behavioral Dynamics ◽  
Brain Circuits ◽  
Natural Context ◽  
Neuronal Imaging ◽  
Complex Sequences ◽  
Motor Actions ◽  
The Brain

AbstractNatural goal-directed behaviors often involve complex sequences of many stimulus-triggered components. Understanding how brain circuits organize such behaviors requires mapping the interactions between an animal, its environment, and its nervous system. Here, we use continuous brain-wide neuronal imaging to study the full performance of mating by the C. elegans male. We show that as each mating unfolds in its own sequence of component behaviors, the brain operates similarly between instances of each component, but distinctly between different components. When the full sensory and behavioral context is taken into account, unique roles emerge for each neuron. Functional correlations between neurons are not fixed, but change with behavioral dynamics. From the contribution of individual neurons to circuits, our study shows how diverse brain-wide dynamics emerge from the integration of sensory perception and motor actions within their natural context.

scholarly journals Visualizing the organization and differentiation of the male-specific nervous system of C. elegans

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tessa Tekieli ◽  
Eviatar Yemini ◽  
Amin Nejatbakhsh ◽  
Erdem Varol ◽  
Robert W Fernandez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Just In Time ◽  
Differentiation Markers ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Larval Stages ◽  
Fourth Larval Stage ◽  
Developmental Patterning ◽  
Male Specific ◽  
Cluster Gene ◽  
The Brain

Sex differences in the brain are prevalent throughout the animal kingdom and particularly well appreciated in the nematode C. elegans. While 294 neurons are shared between the two sexes, the nervous system of the male contains an additional 93 male-specific neurons, most of which have received very little attention so far. To make these neurons amenable for future study, we describe here how a multicolor, multipromoter reporter transgene, NeuroPAL, is capable of visualizing the distinct identities of all male specific neurons. We used this tool to visualize and characterize a number of features of the male-specific nervous system. We provide several proofs of concept for using NeuroPAL to identify the sites of expression of gfp-tagged reporter genes. We demonstrate the usage of NeuroPAL for cellular fate analysis by analyzing the effect of removal of developmental patterning genes, including a HOX cluster gene (egl-5), a miRNA (lin-4) and a proneural gene (lin-32/Ato), on neuronal identity acquisition within the male-specific nervous system. We use NeuroPAL and its intrinsic cohort of more than 40 distinct differentiation markers to show that, even though male-specific neurons are generated throughout all four larval stages, they execute their terminal differentiation program in a coordinated manner in the fourth larval stage that is concomitant with male tale retraction. This wave of differentiation couples neuronal maturation programs with the appearance of sexual organs. We call this wave 'just-in-time' differentiation by its analogy to the mechanism of 'just-in-time' transcription of metabolic pathway genes.

scholarly journals Motivative Factors of Professional Self-Realization of the Person

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Viktoriia Bedan ◽  
◽  
Iryna Brynza ◽  
Mykola Budiianskyi ◽  
Iryna Vasylenko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Career Guidance ◽  
Visual Analysis ◽  
Diagnostic Techniques ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Brain Organization ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
Professional Self ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Different Levels

Neuropsychologists pay much attention to career guidance for young people who are faced with the challenge of choosing the profession. Numerous studies on motivation and professional determination prove the need to identify individual features of the brain organization of mental functions in the context of psychological support for the educational process at school and career guidance. Neuropsychological research indicates the links between the predominant activity of a certain hemisphere of the brain and professional realization in certain areas. The empirical study was conducted using reliable and valid psycho-diagnostic techniques (“Questionnaire of professional self-realization” by O. M. Kokun (2014; 2016); the “Motivational profile” technique by S. Richie, & P. Martin (2004); correlation analysis). At the stage of qualitative analysis, two groups of subjects with different levels of professional self-realization were identified (using the «ace» method). A visual analysis of the motivational factors profile structure in groups with high and low levels of professional self-realisation demonstrated differences in the graphs configuration and their location, and also provided an opportunity to characterize the psychological motivation characteristics of representatives of each of the groups. Against the general background of communicative self-sufficiency, adaptability and self-confidence, in a group of persons with a high level of professional self-realisation, the dominant motives are constant improvement, recognition by others. Representatives of a group with a low level of the studied phenomenon are interested in the motives of good working conditions and high wages. It has been proved that persons with different levels of professional self-realization differ in the specificity of the dominance of motives.

Florid or Virtuoso Études

2019 ◽  
pp. 204-212
Author(s):  
Christopher Berg
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Special Interest ◽  
Classical Guitar ◽  
High Speeds ◽  
Musical Texture ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
And Shifts ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Brain

Most of the music in The Classical Guitar Companion makes use of the same technique or musical texture throughout. High-level virtuoso playing requires that guitarists become adept at navigating ever-changing musical textures and the techniques required to produce them. Florid or virtuoso études present the challenges of combining and switching between various technical elements, such as arpeggios, scales, slurs, and shifts, at rapid tempi. Of special interest is the brief discussion of “latency” at high speeds, which is applicable to these studies, and how virtuoso players transcend the limits of the central nervous system when initiating a movement or series of movements that must occur in less time than it takes for the signal to move to get from the brain to the hands (100 milliseconds).

scholarly journals Caffeine Components Empower the Brain Potentiality

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-17
Author(s):  
Seyedeh Nasim Habibzadeh
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Standard Dose ◽  
Inhibitory Neurotransmitter ◽  
Nutritional Components ◽  
Dietary Component ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
The Right ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Brain

The brain requires certain fuels to function in high level. Literally, nutritional components can modulate the brain productivity. One of the right nutrition to enhance the brain power is dietary component of caffeine. Caffeine as a component of coffee, tea and chocolate is very popular. Although, depending on the dietary demands or conventional habits some people do not consume caffeine-containing substances (i.e. foods or beverage). Nonetheless, caffeine constituents maximize the brain potential via promoting the central nervous system (CNS) through blocking an inhibitory neurotransmitter (adenosine) and releasing some other specific neurotransmitters (noradrenaline, dopamine and serotonin) in brain. The chemistry of caffeine in a standard dose in fact can affect the brain intelligence.

scholarly journals BK Channel Function Bidirectionally Influences Behavioral Deficits Following Withdrawal from Chronic Ethanol in Caenorhabditis elegans

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luisa L. Scott ◽  
Scott J. Davis ◽  
Rachel C. Yen ◽  
Greg J. Ordemann ◽  
Deepthi Bannai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Potassium Channel ◽  
Alcohol Withdrawal ◽  
Bk Channel ◽  
Chronic Ethanol ◽  
Withdrawal Symptoms ◽  
Behavioral Impairment ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Channel Function ◽  
Channel Expression

AbstractThe severity of withdrawal from chronic ethanol is a driving force for relapse in alcohol dependence. Thus, uncovering molecular changes that can be targeted to lessen withdrawal symptoms is key to breaking the cycle of dependence. Using the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, we tested whether one highly conserved ethanol target, the BK potassium channel, may play a major role in alcohol withdrawal. Consistent with a previous report, we found that C. elegans displays behavioral impairment during withdrawal from chronic ethanol that can be reduced by low-dose ethanol. We discovered that the degree of impairment is exacerbated in worms lacking the BK channel, SLO-1, and is alleviated by selective rescue of the BK channel in the nervous system. Conversely, behavioral impairment during withdrawal was dramatically lower in worms with BK channel function enhanced via gain-of-function mutation or overexpression. Consistent with these results, we found that chronic ethanol exposure decreased BK channel expression in a subset of neurons. In addition, we found that a distinct, conserved large-conductance potassium channel, SLO-2, showed the inverse functional relationship, influencing withdrawal behavior via a SLO-1 channel-dependent mechanism. Our findings demonstrate that withdrawal symptoms in C. elegans are mechanistically explained in part by a functional imbalance in the nervous system associated with a reduction in SLO-1 channel expression. Therefore, selective modulation of Slo family ion channel activity may represent a novel therapeutic approach to explore for normalizing behaviors during alcohol withdrawal.ARTICLE SUMMARYPeople addicted to alcohol maintain maladaptive drinking patterns in part to avoid the terrible symptoms of withdrawal. It is unclear whether any single molecule may be genetically modified to alleviate withdrawal symptoms. Here, we discover that for the nematode C. elegans, upregulating function of the conserved BK potassium channel SLO-1 prevents alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Conversely, downregulating SLO-1 channel function makes withdrawal worse. Moreover, we identify an inverse relation between SLO-1 and a second type of BK channel named SLO-2 in the severity of withdrawal. The BK channel thus represents an attractive molecular target to consider for alleviating alcohol withdrawal symptoms.Statement on data and reagent availabilityStrains are available upon request or through the Caenorhabditis Genetics Center.

scholarly journals Connectomes across development reveal principles of brain maturation in C. elegans

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Witvliet ◽  
Ben Mulcahy ◽  
James K. Mitchell ◽  
Yaron Meirovitch ◽  
Daniel R. Berger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Brain Maturation ◽  
Wiring Diagram ◽  
Motor Pathways ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Section Electron ◽  
Synaptic Changes ◽  
Serial Section Electron Microscopy ◽  
Synaptic Change ◽  
The Brain

AbstractFrom birth to adulthood, an animal’s nervous system changes as its body grows and its behaviours mature. However, the extent of circuit remodelling across the connectome is poorly understood. Here, we used serial-section electron microscopy to reconstruct the brain of eight isogenic C. elegans individuals at different ages to learn how an entire wiring diagram changes with maturation. We found that the overall geometry of the nervous system is preserved from birth to adulthood, establishing a constant scaffold upon which synaptic change is built. We observed substantial connectivity differences among individuals that make each brain partly unique. We also observed developmental connectivity changes that are consistent between animals but different among neurons, altering the strengths of existing connections and creating additional connections. Collective synaptic changes alter information processing of the brain. Across maturation, the decision-making circuitry is maintained whereas sensory and motor pathways are substantially remodelled, and the brain becomes progressively more modular and feedforward. These synaptic changes reveal principles that underlie brain maturation.

scholarly journals c302: a multiscale framework for modelling the nervous system of Caenorhabditis elegans

2018 ◽  
Vol 373 (1758) ◽  
pp. 20170379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Padraig Gleeson ◽  
David Lung ◽  
Radu Grosu ◽  
Ramin Hasani ◽  
Stephen D. Larson
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
In Silico ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Neuronal Model ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Behaviour Modelling ◽  
Cellular Resolution ◽  
High Level ◽  
Crucial Part

The OpenWorm project has the ambitious goal of producing a highly detailed in silico model of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans . A crucial part of this work will be a model of the nervous system encompassing all known cell types and connections. The appropriate level of biophysical detail required in the neuronal model to reproduce observed high-level behaviours in the worm has yet to be determined. For this reason, we have developed a framework, c302, that allows different instances of neuronal networks to be generated incorporating varying levels of anatomical and physiological detail, which can be investigated and refined independently or linked to other tools developed in the OpenWorm modelling toolchain. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Connectome to behaviour: modelling C. elegans at cellular resolution’.

Cephalopod Nervous System Organization

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Yan Wang ◽  
Clifton W. Ragsdale
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Learning And Memory ◽  
Olfactory System ◽  
System Organization ◽  
Giant Fiber ◽  
Fiber System ◽  
Tactile Learning ◽  
Tidal Waters ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Marine Zone

Over 700 species of cephalopods live in the Earth’s waters, occupying almost every marine zone, from the benthic deep to the open ocean to tidal waters. The greatly varied forms and charismatic behaviors of these animals have long fascinated humans. Cephalopods are short-lived, highly mobile predators with sophisticated brains that are the largest among the invertebrates. While cephalopod brains share a similar anatomical organization, the nervous systems of coleoids (octopus, squid, cuttlefish) and nautiloids all display important lineage-specific neural adaptations. The octopus brain, for example, has for its arms a well-developed tactile learning and memory system that is vestigial in, or absent from, that of other cephalopods. The unique anatomy of the squid giant fiber system enables rapid escape in the event of capture. The brain of the nautilus comprises fewer lobes than its coleoid counterparts, but contains olfactory system structures and circuits not yet identified in other cephalopods.

scholarly journals Molecular Inference of Wisdom

2017 ◽  
Vol 01 (01) ◽  
pp. 40-49
Author(s):  
G. Terry Sharrer
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Natural Selection ◽  
Molecular Biology ◽  
Molecular Level ◽  
Cellular Organization ◽  
Learned Behavior ◽  
Human Trait ◽  
Evolutionary Pathways ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Brain

Wisdom is a human trait upon which natural selection creates evolutionary pathways from the molecular biology of the gene, to the cellular organization of nervous system, to the physical functioning of the brain — and the transit is a two way street. Wellness is a selection advantage at every level. Molecular wellness is innate, though often compromised because selection is blind; intellectual or high level wellness is learned behavior fed back to the molecular level as a kind of vision. The wisdom of this is that lifelong wellness — to the point of dying healthy — is a goal for every person and every society because it precedes and influences all other achievements.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document