Dataset Information

A circuit model of the temporal pattern generator of Caenorhabditis egg-laying behavior.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Egg-laying behavior in the nematode C. elegans displays a distinct clustered temporal pattern: egg-laying events occur primarily in bursts or active phases, separated by inactive phases during which eggs are retained. The onset of the active phase can be modeled as a Poisson process with a time constant of approximately 20 minutes, while egg-laying events within an active phase occur with a faster time constant of approximately 20 seconds. Here we propose a cellular model for how the temporal pattern of egg-laying might be generated, based on genetic and cell-biological experiments and statistical analyses.

Results

We suggest that the HSN neuron is the executive neuron driving egg-laying events. We propose that the VC neurons act as "single egg counters" that inhibit HSN activity for short periods in response to individual egg-laying events. We further propose that the uv1 neuroendocrine cells are "cluster counters", which inhibit HSN activity for longer periods and are responsible for the time constant of the inactive phase. Together they form an integrated circuit that drives the clustered egg-laying pattern.

Conclusions

The detailed predictions derived from this model can now be tested by straightforward validation experiments.

SUBMITTER: Zhang M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2887794 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

A circuit model of the temporal pattern generator of Caenorhabditis egg-laying behavior.

Zhang Mi M Schafer William R WR Breitling Rainer R

BMC systems biology 20100607

<h4>Background</h4>Egg-laying behavior in the nematode C. elegans displays a distinct clustered temporal pattern: egg-laying events occur primarily in bursts or active phases, separated by inactive phases during which eggs are retained. The onset of the active phase can be modeled as a Poisson process with a time constant of approximately 20 minutes, while egg-laying events within an active phase occur with a faster time constant of approximately 20 seconds. Here we propose a cellular model for ...[more]

PMID: 20529297

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Project description:Activated Gαq signals through phospholipase-Cβ and Trio, a Rho GTPase exchange factor (RhoGEF), but how these distinct effector pathways promote cellular responses to neurotransmitters like serotonin remains poorly understood. We used the egg-laying behavior circuit of Caenorhabditis elegans to determine whether phospholipase-Cβ and Trio mediate serotonin and Gαq signaling through independent or related biochemical pathways. Our genetic rescue experiments suggest that phospholipase-Cβ functions in neurons while Trio Rho GTPase exchange factor functions in both neurons and the postsynaptic vulval muscles. While Gαq, phospholipase-Cβ, and Trio Rho GTPase exchange factor mutants fail to lay eggs in response to serotonin, optogenetic stimulation of the serotonin-releasing HSN neurons restores egg laying only in phospholipase-Cβ mutants. Phospholipase-Cβ mutants showed vulval muscle Ca2+ transients while strong Gαq and Trio Rho GTPase exchange factor mutants had little or no vulval muscle Ca2+ activity. Treatment with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate that mimics 1,2-diacylglycerol, a product of PIP2 hydrolysis, rescued egg-laying circuit activity and behavior defects of Gαq signaling mutants, suggesting both phospholipase-C and Rho signaling promote synaptic transmission and egg laying via modulation of 1,2-diacylglycerol levels. 1,2-Diacylglycerol activates effectors including UNC-13; however, we find that phorbol esters, but not serotonin, stimulate egg laying in unc-13 and phospholipase-Cβ mutants. These results support a model where serotonin signaling through Gαq, phospholipase-Cβ, and UNC-13 promotes neurotransmitter release, and that serotonin also signals through Gαq, Trio Rho GTPase exchange factor, and an unidentified, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-responsive effector to promote postsynaptic muscle excitability. Thus, the same neuromodulator serotonin can signal in distinct cells and effector pathways to coordinate activation of a motor behavior circuit.

Dataset Information

A circuit model of the temporal pattern generator of Caenorhabditis egg-laying behavior.

Background

Results

Conclusions

Publications

A circuit model of the temporal pattern generator of Caenorhabditis egg-laying behavior.

Similar Datasets

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