A model of motor control of the nematode C. elegans with neuronal circuits
A model of motor control of the nematode C. elegans with neuronal circuits
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DOI：
10.1016/j.artmed.2005.01.008
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发表时间：
2005-09-01
影响因子：
7.5
通讯作者：
Ohtake, H
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Suzuki, M;Tsuji, T;Ohtake, H
目的：生物具有适应各种外部环境条件的机制。如果我们能够在计算机上实现这些机制，就有可能将生物和仿生适应方法应用于人工机器的工程中。秀丽隐杆线虫（Caenorhabditis elegans， C. elegans）是目前研究最多的多细胞生物之一，结构相对简单。我们的目标是开发它的计算机模型，人工秀丽隐杆线虫，以分析运动方面的控制机制。虽然秀丽隐杆线虫处理多种外部刺激，但我们关注的是轻柔的触摸刺激。方法：提出的模型包括一个神经元回路模型，用于运动控制，响应轻柔的触摸刺激和身体运动的运动学模型。采用实数编码遗传算法对神经元回路模型中包含的所有参数进行调整。同时，在身体模型中采用神经元振荡器模型来产生正弦运动。身体模型的运动速度由神经元回路模型控制，以对应于在感觉神经元中接收到的触摸刺激。结论：计算机仿真证实了该模型能够定性地实现与实际生物体相似的运动控制。通过使用人工有机体，有可能澄清或预测在实际实验中无法测量的一些特性。随着计算机技术的发展，这种计算分析成为可能。人工秀丽隐杆线虫虽然目前仍处于发展阶段，但在未来的实验生物学研究中将有重要的应用价值。(c) 2005 Elsevier B.V.版权所有
Objective: Living organisms have mechanisms to adapt to various conditions of external environments. If we can realize these mechanisms on the computer, it may be possible to apply methods of biological and biomimetic adaptation to the engineering of artificial machines. This paper focuses on the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), which has a relatively simple structure and is one of the most studied multicellular organisms. We aim to develop its computer model, artificial C. elegans, to analyze control mechanisms with respect to motion. Although C. elegans processes many kinds of external stimuli, we focused on gentle touch stimulation.Methods: The proposed model consists of a neuronal circuit model for motor control that responds to gentle touch stimuli and a kinematic model of the body for movement. All parameters included in the neuronal circuit model are adjusted by using the real-coded genetic algorithm. Also, the neuronal oscillator model is employed in the body model to generate the sinusoidal movement. The motion velocity of the body model is controlled by the neuronal circuit model so as to correspond to the touch stimuli that are received in sensory neurons.Conclusion: The computer simulations confirmed that the proposed model is capable of realizing motor control similar to that of the actual organism qualitatively. By using the artificial organism it may be possible to clarify or predict some characteristics that cannot be measured in actual experiments. With the recent development of computer technology, such a computational analysis becomes a real possibility. The artificial C. elegans will contribute for studies in experimental biology in future, although it is stilt developing at present. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.