From Bombyx neuron database to Invetebrate brain platform - toward a virtual invertebrate neuroscience lab.

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event From Bombyx neuron database to Invetebrate brain platform - toward a virtual invertebrate neuroscience lab. Tomoki Kazawa1*, Namiki Shigehiro1, Akira Takashima1, Stephan S. Haupt1, Sakiko Siga2, Hiroyuki Ai3, Hitoshi Aonuma4, Masakazu Takahata5, Ryohei Kanzaki1, Hidetoshi Ikeno6 and Shiro Usui7 1 The University of Tokyo, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, Japan 2 Osaka City University, Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate Science, Japan 3 Fukuoka University, Division of Biology, Department of Earth System Science, Japan 4 Hokkaido University, Research Institute for Electronic Science, Japan 5 Hokkaido University, Department of Biological Sciences, Japan 6 University of Hyogo, School of Human Science and Environment, Japan 7 BSI, RIKEN, Japan Brains of invertebrates like arthropods are good model systems for neuroscience because they have simpler structures than vertebrate brains but display a variety of sophisticated properties like multimodal integration, learning, and memory . Compared to vertebrates, the impact of individual neurons in information processing in invertebrates is much more prominent and neurons can often be identified individually in each member of a given species due to their characteristic morphological and physiological properties. Invertebrate neural circuits are mostly studied using intracellular recording and labeling that allows determining the physiological and morphological properties of the cells. Usually, one neuron per sample is recorded, thus the importance of integrating data from different experiments is paramount. Morphological and physiological data of single neurons from silkmoth brains have been fed into BoND (Bombyx neuron database) since 2000, initially using commercial database systems. Analyzing single neuron data from several experimenters consolidated in BoND is very useful for systematic analyses and classifications of neurons especially in 3D morphology when analyzing projection neurons (Kanzaki et. al 2003) and command neurons (Wada and Kanzaki 2005). We thus proceeded to reimplement our database system as a module of a Content Management system (Kazawa et.al 2008) to expand the power of the system. We started Invertebrate Brain Platform (IVB-PF) project organized by J-Node of INCF for accumulating more information about invertebrate brain. By now the contents of Invertebrate Brain Platform (IVB-PF; http://invbrain.neuroinf.jp/) are not restricted to single neuron data from silkmoth, but include information on neurons from other arthropods, mathematical models, and research tools relevant to the study of invertebrate brains, information on behavior, brain images and many ancillary documents. The Database software of BoND and IVB-PF was developed as a web software module described by PHP in XOOPS. Xoops (The eXtensible Object Oriented Portal System) is a web server CMS. Access and administration rights are set through a flexible permission system based on user groups. Binary data can be uploaded by the user that registered the data and utilized by users with access rights. Each data set is represented by a thumbnail image and standardized keywords. The database module can be publicly accessed as CosmoDB (http://www.cosmodb.sourceforge.jp). Document pages that describe the contents systematically support the organization of database content. XOOPS is multi-platform based and has a modular structure that allows extension beyond database functionality such as for communication tools. As of April 2010, IVB-PF includes the following public data: 52 images of invertebrate brains of different species , 474 individual neuron data sets from silkmoth, 34 movies of arthropod behavior, several manuals for physiological and behavioral experiments, 21 single neuron data sets from crayfish, and 52 histological brain images from fly. Each lab participating in the IVB-PF project operates a local cosmoDB server. In one of them, BoND, more than 1400 individual neuron data sets, including 3D image stacks of the morphology and physiological responses to pheromone have been accumulated and are prepared for public release. Data mining is one important aspect of the pooling of resources. We are currently implementing a silkmoth standard brain, into which data from the database can be mapped for integration and subsequent creation of a model that will eventually lead to whole-brain simulation in the silkmoth. It is highly effective to manage and share research resources by networked facilities in neuroscience. The environment for data analysis in collaboration with the database can enhance the collaboration among researchers in various fields, including physiology, information science, and engineering and be used efficiently for educational purposes