title: Context-dependent modulation reconfigures interactive sensory-mediated microcircuits in Caenorhabditis elegans.
abstract: Caenorhabditis elegans navigates sensory landscapes by integrating inputs from 14 pairs of polymodal sensory neurons. Sensory neurons interact synaptically and through gap junction networks and are modulated by complex local/humoral, nutritionally dependent, monoaminergic and peptidergic signaling cascades that dynamically reconfigure individual sensory-mediated locomotory circuits. Monoaminergic/peptidergic signaling modifies the sensory signal by providing, first, feedback loops between sensory neurons and postsynaptic partners to fine tune inputs, second, crosstalk between sensory neurons to integrate responses and third, local/humoral extrasynaptic signals to facilitate broader, long term system-wide modulation. Overall, these observations highlight the differences between an anatomical wiring diagram and 'functional connectomes' that are essential to generate the alternative circuit configurations required to choose different behavioral outcomes in the face of changing environmental inputs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, United States. Electronic address: Richard.Komuniecki@utoledo.edu.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Komuniecki
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, United States.
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hapiak
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, United States.
authors.forename: Gareth
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, United States.
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bamber
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015306:Biogenic Monoamines / Q000378:metabolism; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans; D056228:Feedback, Sensory / Q000502:physiology; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012677:Sensation / Q000502:physiology*; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015306:Biogenic Monoamines; D009479:Neuropeptides