Locomotion analysis identifies roles of mechanosensory neurons in governing locomotion dynamics of C. elegans

Abstract

Summary The simple and well-characterized nervous system of C. elegans facilitates analysis of mechanisms controlling behavior. Locomotion is a major behavioral output governed by multiple external and internal signals. Here we examine the roles of low- and high-threshold mechanosensors in locomotion, using high-resolution and detailed analysis of locomotion and its dynamics. This analysis reveals a new role for touch receptor neurons in suppressing an intrinsic direction bias of locomotion. We also examine the response to noxious mechanical stimuli, showing a response entailing several locomotion properties and lasting several minutes. Effects on different locomotion properties have different half-lives and depend on different partly overlapping sets of sensory neurons. PVD and FLP, high-threshold mechanosensors, play a major role in some of these responses. Overall, our results demonstrate the power of detailed, prolonged, and high-resolution analysis of locomotion and locomotion dynamics in enabling better understanding of gene and neuron function.