Temporal activity patterns in thermosensory neurons of freely moving Caenorhabditis elegans encode spatial thermal gradients
Temporal activity patterns in thermosensory neurons of freely moving Caenorhabditis elegans encode spatial thermal gradients
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DOI：
10.1523/jneurosci.1032-07.2007
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发表时间：
2007-06-06
影响因子：
5.3
通讯作者：
Samuel, Aravinthan D. T.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Clark, Damon A.;Gabel, Christopher V.;Samuel, Aravinthan D. T.
我们对神经元和神经元回路的运作的理解主要来自于对解剖、麻醉或束缚的动物的活动的探测。然而，神经元和神经元回路的行为相关操作发生在完整的动物体内，因为它们自由地执行行为任务。秀丽隐杆线虫的小尺寸和透明性使其成为非侵入性光学测量神经元活动的理想系统。在这里，我们使用高信噪比版本的cameleon，一种荧光钙结合蛋白，来量化个体蠕虫自由导航空间热梯度的AFD热敏神经元的活性。我们发现，AFD活动是直接耦合到蠕虫的探索运动在空间温度梯度。我们表明，蠕虫是能够，在原则上，评估和指导自己的温度相对于环境空间的温度梯度的行为，通过监测这个单一的热敏神经元的活动。
Our understanding of the operation of neurons and neuronal circuits has come primarily from probing their activity in dissected, anesthetized, or restrained animals. However, the behaviorally relevant operation of neurons and neuronal circuits occurs within intact animals as they freely perform behavioral tasks. The small size and transparency of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans make it an ideal system for noninvasive, optical measurements of neuronal activity. Here, we use a high signal-to-noise version of cameleon, a fluorescent calcium-binding protein, to quantify the activity of the AFD thermosensory neuron of individual worms freely navigating spatial thermal gradients. We find that AFD activity is directly coupled to the worm's exploratory movements in spatial thermal gradients. We show that the worm is able, in principle, to evaluate and guide its own thermotactic behaviors with respect to ambient spatial thermal gradients by monitoring the activity of this single thermosensory neuron.