Structural Properties of the Caenorhabditis elegans Neuronal Network
Despite recent interest in reconstructing neuronal networks, complete wiring diagrams on the level of individual synapses remain scarce and the insights into function they can provide remain unclear. Even for Caenorhabditis elegans, whose neuronal network is relatively small and stereotypical from a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | en_US |
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Public Library of Science
2011
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/64456 |
| _version_ | 1811093670275842048 |
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| author | Varshney, Lav Raj |
| author2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Research Laboratory of Electronics |
| author_facet | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Research Laboratory of Electronics Varshney, Lav Raj |
| author_sort | Varshney, Lav Raj |
| collection | MIT |
| description | Despite recent interest in reconstructing neuronal networks, complete wiring diagrams on the level of individual synapses remain scarce and the insights into function they can provide remain unclear. Even for Caenorhabditis elegans, whose neuronal network is relatively small and stereotypical from animal to animal, published wiring diagrams are neither accurate nor complete and self-consistent. Using materials from White et al. and new electron micrographs we assemble whole, self-consistent gap junction and chemical synapse networks of hermaphrodite C. elegans. We propose a method to visualize the wiring diagram, which reflects network signal flow. We calculate statistical and topological properties of the network, such as degree distributions, synaptic multiplicities, and small-world properties, that help in understanding network signal propagation. We identify neurons that may play central roles in information processing, and network motifs that could serve as functional modules of the network. We explore propagation of neuronal activity in response to sensory or artificial stimulation using linear systems theory and find several activity patterns that could serve as substrates of previously described behaviors. Finally, we analyze the interaction between the gap junction and the chemical synapse networks. Since several statistical properties of the C. elegans network, such as multiplicity and motif distributions are similar to those found in mammalian neocortex, they likely point to general principles of neuronal networks. The wiring diagram reported here can help in understanding the mechanistic basis of behavior by generating predictions about future experiments involving genetic perturbations, laser ablations, or monitoring propagation of neuronal activity in response to stimulation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T15:48:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/64456 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | en_US |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T15:48:44Z |
| publishDate | 2011 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/644562022-09-29T16:18:04Z Structural Properties of the Caenorhabditis elegans Neuronal Network Varshney, Lav Raj Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Research Laboratory of Electronics Varshney, Lav Raj Varshney, Lav Raj Despite recent interest in reconstructing neuronal networks, complete wiring diagrams on the level of individual synapses remain scarce and the insights into function they can provide remain unclear. Even for Caenorhabditis elegans, whose neuronal network is relatively small and stereotypical from animal to animal, published wiring diagrams are neither accurate nor complete and self-consistent. Using materials from White et al. and new electron micrographs we assemble whole, self-consistent gap junction and chemical synapse networks of hermaphrodite C. elegans. We propose a method to visualize the wiring diagram, which reflects network signal flow. We calculate statistical and topological properties of the network, such as degree distributions, synaptic multiplicities, and small-world properties, that help in understanding network signal propagation. We identify neurons that may play central roles in information processing, and network motifs that could serve as functional modules of the network. We explore propagation of neuronal activity in response to sensory or artificial stimulation using linear systems theory and find several activity patterns that could serve as substrates of previously described behaviors. Finally, we analyze the interaction between the gap junction and the chemical synapse networks. Since several statistical properties of the C. elegans network, such as multiplicity and motif distributions are similar to those found in mammalian neocortex, they likely point to general principles of neuronal networks. The wiring diagram reported here can help in understanding the mechanistic basis of behavior by generating predictions about future experiments involving genetic perturbations, laser ablations, or monitoring propagation of neuronal activity in response to stimulation. National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant No. 0325774) National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant No. 0836720) National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant No. 0729069) National Institute of Mental Health (U.S.) (Grant 69838) Swartz Foundation Klingenstein Foundation 2011-06-16T16:56:56Z 2011-06-16T16:56:56Z 2011-02 2010-06 Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle 1553-7358 1553-734X http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/64456 Varshney, Lav R. et al. “Structural Properties of the Caenorhabditis Elegans Neuronal Network.” PLoS Comput Biol 7.2 (2011) : e1001066. 21304930 en_US http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1001066 PLoS Computational Biology Creative Commons Attribution http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ application/pdf Public Library of Science PLoS |
| spellingShingle | Varshney, Lav Raj Structural Properties of the Caenorhabditis elegans Neuronal Network |
| title | Structural Properties of the Caenorhabditis elegans Neuronal Network |
| title_full | Structural Properties of the Caenorhabditis elegans Neuronal Network |
| title_fullStr | Structural Properties of the Caenorhabditis elegans Neuronal Network |
| title_full_unstemmed | Structural Properties of the Caenorhabditis elegans Neuronal Network |
| title_short | Structural Properties of the Caenorhabditis elegans Neuronal Network |
| title_sort | structural properties of the caenorhabditis elegans neuronal network |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/64456 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT varshneylavraj structuralpropertiesofthecaenorhabditiselegansneuronalnetwork |