TWISP: A Transgenic Worm for Interrogating Signal Propagation in C. elegans

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Genetics
• Optical Imaging

Background:

• All-optical investigation of neural circuits requires effective genetically encoded indicators and actuators.
• Existing tools face limitations in scalability, cellular resolution, and compatibility with other labeling systems for brain-wide studies.

Approach:

• Developed TWISP (Transgenic Worm for Interrogating Signal Propagation) in *Caenorhabditis elegans*.
• Utilized a novel optical actuator (GUR-3+PRDX-2) and calcium indicator (GCAMP6s) under a drug-inducible system (QF+hGR).
• Integrated the system with the NeuroPAL cell identification system for comprehensive neural mapping.

Key Points:

• TWISP enables optical measurements of evoked calcium activity at brain scale and cellular resolution.
• The chosen combination of indicators and actuators avoids optical crosstalk and ensures high expression in adult neurons.
• The system is compatible with NeuroPAL, allowing for precise cell identification during neural activity recording.

Conclusions:

• TWISP provides a robust platform for systematic investigation of signal propagation in the *C. elegans* nervous system.
• This approach overcomes critical limitations in current all-optical methods for neural circuit analysis.
• The developed transgenic lines are stable and suitable for large-scale, high-resolution neural activity measurements.