Gait modulation in C. elegans: An integrated neuromechanical model
Equipped with its 302-cell nervous system, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans adapts its locomotion in different environments, exhibiting so-called swimming in liquids and crawling on dense gels. Recent experiments have demonstrated that the worm displays the full range of intermediate behaviors wh...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2012-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fncom.2012.00010/full |
| _version_ | 1811326691086172160 |
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| author | Jordan Hylke Boyle Jordan Hylke Boyle Stefano eBerri Stefano eBerri Netta eCohen Netta eCohen |
| author_facet | Jordan Hylke Boyle Jordan Hylke Boyle Stefano eBerri Stefano eBerri Netta eCohen Netta eCohen |
| author_sort | Jordan Hylke Boyle |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Equipped with its 302-cell nervous system, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans adapts its locomotion in different environments, exhibiting so-called swimming in liquids and crawling on dense gels. Recent experiments have demonstrated that the worm displays the full range of intermediate behaviors when placed in intermediate environments. The continuous nature of this transition strongly suggests that these behaviors all stem from modulation of a single underlying mechanism. Wepresent a model of C. elegans forward locomotion that includes a neuromuscular control system that relies on a sensory feedback mechanism to generate undulations and is integrated with a physical model of the body and environment. We find that the model reproduces the entire swim-crawl transition, as well as locomotion in complex and heterogeneous environments. This is achieved with no modulatory mechanism, except via the proprioceptive response to the physical environment. Manipulations of the model are used to dissect the proposed pattern generation mechanism and its modulation. The model suggests a possible role for GABAergic D-class neurons in forward locomotion and makes a number of experimentalpredictions, in particular with respect to nonlinearities in the model and to symmetry breaking between the neuromuscular systems on the ventral and dorsal sides of the body. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T14:54:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2c663e74799f4ab1827b37f5aecca60f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-5188 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T14:54:12Z |
| publishDate | 2012-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-2c663e74799f4ab1827b37f5aecca60f2022-12-22T02:42:30ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience1662-51882012-03-01610.3389/fncom.2012.0001017123Gait modulation in C. elegans: An integrated neuromechanical modelJordan Hylke Boyle0Jordan Hylke Boyle1Stefano eBerri2Stefano eBerri3Netta eCohen4Netta eCohen5University of LeedsUniversity of LeedsUniversity of LeedsUniversity of LeedsUniversity of LeedsUniversity of LeedsEquipped with its 302-cell nervous system, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans adapts its locomotion in different environments, exhibiting so-called swimming in liquids and crawling on dense gels. Recent experiments have demonstrated that the worm displays the full range of intermediate behaviors when placed in intermediate environments. The continuous nature of this transition strongly suggests that these behaviors all stem from modulation of a single underlying mechanism. Wepresent a model of C. elegans forward locomotion that includes a neuromuscular control system that relies on a sensory feedback mechanism to generate undulations and is integrated with a physical model of the body and environment. We find that the model reproduces the entire swim-crawl transition, as well as locomotion in complex and heterogeneous environments. This is achieved with no modulatory mechanism, except via the proprioceptive response to the physical environment. Manipulations of the model are used to dissect the proposed pattern generation mechanism and its modulation. The model suggests a possible role for GABAergic D-class neurons in forward locomotion and makes a number of experimentalpredictions, in particular with respect to nonlinearities in the model and to symmetry breaking between the neuromuscular systems on the ventral and dorsal sides of the body.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fncom.2012.00010/fullGaitLocomotionC. elegansModelswimcrawl |
| spellingShingle | Jordan Hylke Boyle Jordan Hylke Boyle Stefano eBerri Stefano eBerri Netta eCohen Netta eCohen Gait modulation in C. elegans: An integrated neuromechanical model Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience Gait Locomotion C. elegans Model swim crawl |
| title | Gait modulation in C. elegans: An integrated neuromechanical model |
| title_full | Gait modulation in C. elegans: An integrated neuromechanical model |
| title_fullStr | Gait modulation in C. elegans: An integrated neuromechanical model |
| title_full_unstemmed | Gait modulation in C. elegans: An integrated neuromechanical model |
| title_short | Gait modulation in C. elegans: An integrated neuromechanical model |
| title_sort | gait modulation in c elegans an integrated neuromechanical model |
| topic | Gait Locomotion C. elegans Model swim crawl |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fncom.2012.00010/full |
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