A dynamical circuit model of C. elegans chemotaxis with emergent sharp turns
Abstract
With its rigorously characterized connectome, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a powerful model organism to study the fundamental roles of neuronal circuits in behavior. However, despite the breadth of research, many questions remain unanswered regarding how these organisms are able to successfully navigate their environment. Here, we present a biologically grounded dynamical circuit model for the investigation of sensory-guided behavior during C. elegans chemotaxis. Our model consists of the chemosensory neuron AWA, interneurons RIM and RIA, motor neurons, including SMDs and RMDs, and body wall muscles that provide proprioceptive feedback through stretch receptors. The connectivity prioritizes functional and dynamical correspondence with the biological circuit over one-to-one anatomical fidelity. After optimization with an evolutionary algorithm, the model locomotes toward a chemical attractant, effectively capturing nematode chemotactic behavior. A key emergent property of the model that contributes to successful chemotaxis is the ability to make sharp turns, which resemble the omega turns of living nematodes. The direction and magnitude of these turns depend on the phase of the ongoing locomotory cycle. The sharp turning behavior is triggered by decreases in the concentration of the attractant. In the model, decreases in attractant concentration levels reduce AWA activity, which in turn triggers disinhibition of RIM activity and subsequent changes in RIA oscillatory…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a preprint, done in animal, not in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health.
Read the paper
Related studies
- eggNOG 5.0: a hierarchical, functionally and phylogenetically annotated orthology resource based on 5090 organisms and 2502 viruses
- Online Survival Analysis Software to Assess the Prognostic Value of Biomarkers Using Transcriptomic Data in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
- OptiType: precision HLA typing from next-generation sequencing data
- Nicotinic Cholinergic System and COVID-19: In Silico Identification of an Interaction between SARS-CoV-2 and Nicotinic Receptors with Potential Therapeutic Targeting Implications
- Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells have three Omega class glutathione S-transferases acting as 1-Cys thiol transferases
- Hemolysis at low blood flow rates: in-vitro and in-silico evaluation of a centrifugal blood pump
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.