Abstract
This paper presents a method for automated detection of complex (non-self-avoiding) postures of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and its application to analyses of locomotion defects. Our approach is based on progressively detailed statistical models that enable detection of the head and the body even in cases of severe coilers, where data from traditional trackers is limited. We restrict the input available to the algorithm to a single digitized frame, such that manual initialization is not required and the detection problem becomes embarrassingly parallel. Consequently, the proposed algorithm does not propagate detection errors and naturally integrates in a “big data” workflow used for large-scale analyses. Using this framework, we analyzed the dynamics of postures and locomotion of wild-type animals and mutants that exhibit severe coiling phenotypes. Our approach can readily be extended to additional automated tracking tasks such as tracking pairs of animals (e.g., for mating assays) or different species.
Highlights
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a simple animal model system, widely used to study the genetic foundations of behavior
This paper presents a method for automated detection of complex postures of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and its application to analyses of locomotion defects
We present a method for automated detection of such complex body postures and its application to the analysis of locomotion
Summary
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a simple animal model system, widely used to study the genetic foundations of behavior. Among its key advantages are its tractable genetics, short life cycle, relatively simple anatomy and behavior patterns, and evolutionary conserved pathways [1,2,3]. The locomotion patterns of C. elegans have been extensively studied. This was largely done relying on visual phenotyping. Accurate identification of head and tail and reconstruction of the midline of the body are important steps in automated analyses of C. elegans postures. The topological genus of images of wild-type animals is zero, i.e., the body image only rarely forms closed loops. Loops are observed in coiling mutants and more rarely in wild-type or other mutants
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