Fig. 5: Antidromic-rectifying gap junctions between locomotion interneurons and motor neurons facilitate olfactory learning.
From: Locomotion modulates olfactory learning through proprioception in C. elegans
a, b Gap junctions between AVB and VB6 conduct current predominantly in the antidromic direction, and require UNC-7 and INX-19 in AVB and UNC-9 in B-MNs to function. Junctional currents (Ij) were recorded from AVB or VB6. Left: Diagrams of the recording protocol. Vj = transjunctional voltage (see Methods). Right: Sample Ij traces and Ij–Vj relationships. RNAi was done using Psra-11 (AVB) or Pacr-5 (B-MNs). WT = wild type. c Stretch stimulation of VB6 evokes an inward current in AVB and causes AVB depolarization in WT, but not in either the unc-7;inx-19 mutant or the AVB-targeted unc-7 and inx-19 knockdown strain (Double RNAi). d Stretch stimulation of VA5 evokes an inward current in AVA and causes AVA depolarization in WT, but not in either the unc-7 mutant or the AVA-targeted unc-7 knockdown strain (unc-7 RNAi). In (c, d), the low-Cl- pipette solution (see Methods) was used, and the holding voltage was 0 mV for current recording. e, f Knockdown of unc-7 and inx-19 in AVB or unc-7 in AVA significantly decreases the olfactory learning index but not the naïve choice index. ** and *** indicate p < 0.05 and p < 0.001, respectively, based on either one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post hoc test (c, d) or two-sided unpaired t test (e, f). Compared with WT, p = 0.0004 and 0.0012 (top, c), < 0.0001 and 0.0007(bottom, c), 0.0002 and 0.0005 (top, d), 0.0008 and 0.0017 (bottom, d), 0.8503 (left, e), < 0.0001(right, e), 0.7805 (left, f), 0.0007 (right, f). Brackets contain the number of cell pairs or cells recorded (a–d) or independent assays (e, f). Data are shown as mean ± SEM. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.
