Synaptic polarity of the command interneurons for Caenorhabditis Elegans directional motion

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event Synaptic polarity of the command interneurons for Caenorhabditis Elegans directional motion Franciszek M. Rakowski1* and Jan Karbowski2 1 University of Warsaw, Interdisciplinary Centre for Mathematical and Computational Modeling, Poland 2 University of Warsaw, Institute of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, Poland The command interneuron circuit for Caenorhabditis Elegans locomotion has been known for a long time [1,2]. However, synaptic polarities of these interneurons, and thus, the circuit functioning is largely unknown. Additionally, nematode command neurons express both glutamate-gated chloride channels and glutamate-gated cation channels, which causes that each synapse, even when belonging to the same neuron, might be either inhibitory or excitatory. We use an experimental behavioral data set: eighteen different neural ablations were performed and times spent in the forward and reverse motions were registered. Therefore one can consider eighteen different command neuron network structures where each one as a whole, controls the behavior of the nematode, and results with one of the eighteen different behavioral patterns. In order to decipher the particular polarities of each neuron we have constructed a theoretical (inter)neuron network model, in which neural activities are represented by a set of differential equations and searched all possible synaptic polarity combinations in the circuit to find the best match to the timing data [3,4]. Here, we present the extension of this model, where we explicitly incorporate calcium concentration dynamics as the regulatory factor and detailed connectivity diagram based on the transmission type of each synapse. Since the parameter space spanned by the morphological and regulatory factors is huge, we have applied an evolutionary strategy for finding the parameters of the mathematical model, for which the theoretical results and the experimental data fit the best. The overall model output consists of the averaged values: neuron activities, calcium concentration levels, input signal (the upstream neurons activity pattern) and of the resolved detailed connectivity diagram. The deciphered list of the types of synapses states that most of the synapses, including strongest connections, e.g. ASH -> “backward” motoneurons, PVC -> “forward” motoneurons, AVD -> AVA, in the command neuron circuit are inhibitory.