Intricate response dynamics enhances stimulus discrimination in the resource-limited C. elegans chemosensory system.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Sensory systems evolved intricate designs to accurately encode perplexing environments. However, this encoding task may become particularly challenging for animals harboring a small number of sensory neurons. Here, we studied how the compact resource-limited chemosensory system of Caenorhabditis elegans uniquely encodes a range of chemical stimuli.

Results

We find that each stimulus is encoded using a small and unique subset of neurons, where only a portion of the encoding neurons sense the stimulus directly, and the rest are recruited via inter-neuronal communication. Furthermore, while most neurons show stereotypical response dynamics, some neurons exhibit versatile dynamics that are either stimulus specific or network-activity dependent. Notably, it is the coll

SUBMITTER: Bokman E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11328493 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature