Fig. 6: AVA interneurons are hub neurons integrating signals from diacetyl and glycerol sensory circuits and the D-AVA inhibitory circuit.
From: GABAergic motor neurons bias locomotor decision-making in C. elegans
a Diagram showing the experimental approach. Optogenetically evoked AVA membrane depolarization was recorded in a strain expressing channelrhodopsin-2 specifically in ASH sensory neurons. Either diacetyl (1:1000 dilution) or gabazine (500 µM) was added to the bath solution between two series of blue light stimuli (0–4.5 mW/mm2). b All-trans retinal is required for optogenetically evoked AVA depolarization (p = 0.000). c Sample traces of blue light-induced AVA membrane voltage change under three different experimental conditions: control, diacetyl, and gabazine. The blue lines mark the periods of light stimuli. The numbers above them indicate light intensities (mW/mm2). d Light intensity and AVA membrane depolarization curve of the control, which was pooled from the diacetyl and gabazine groups. e Light intensity and AVA membrane depolarization curves of the gabazine group normalized to its control (pre-gabazine) peak response. p = 0.001 between the two groups. f Light intensity and AVA membrane depolarization curves of the diacetyl group normalized to its control (pre-diacetyl) peak response. p = 0.009 between the two groups. The asterisk in b indicates a significant difference compared with the Retinal (+) group whereas those in e and f indicate significant differences compared with the control (**p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, two-way mixed design ANOVA). The numbers inside brackets indicate sample size (n). n = numbers of independently recorded cells. Data are presented as mean values ± SEM. Source data are provided as a Source data file.
