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C. elegans enteric motor neurons fire synchronized action potentials underlying the defecation motor program
Jingyuan Jiang1, Yifan Su1, Ruilin Zhang1,2
1Center for Bioinformatics, National Laboratory of Protein Engineering and Plant Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
Nature Communications
|May 19, 2022
Summary
C. elegans enteric motor neurons AVL and DVB fire digital action potentials, challenging previous notions of non-spiking neurons. This discovery reveals a novel spiking circuit crucial for coordinated defecation behavior.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cellular Biology
- Computational Neuroscience
Background:
- The C. elegans nervous system was previously believed to be primarily non-spiking.
- Recent findings indicated action potentials in the AWA sensory neuron, but the prevalence of digital vs. analog coding remained unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the presence and function of action potentials in C. elegans enteric motor neurons.
- To determine the coding mechanisms (analog or digital) underlying C. elegans behavior.
Main Methods:
- Simultaneous behavioral tracking and calcium imaging in free-moving C. elegans.
- Electrophysiological analysis of enteric motor neurons AVL and DVB.
- Genetic manipulation to study ion channel function (UNC-2, EXP-2) and gap junction (INX-1) roles.
Main Results:
- Enteric motor neurons AVL and DVB fire synchronous, all-or-none, calcium-mediated action potentials.
- AVL exhibits compound action potentials involving calcium influx (UNC-2) and potassium efflux (EXP-2).
- Action potentials propagate from AVL to DVB via the INX-1 gap junction, synchronizing neuronal firing.
Conclusions:
- Identified a novel circuit of spiking neurons in C. elegans.
- Demonstrated the use of digital coding for long-distance neuronal communication and temporal synchronization.
- Established the role of this spiking circuit in regulating the rhythmic defecation behavior.
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