Computational Inferences on Alteration of Neurotransmission in Chemotaxis Learning in Caenorhabditis elegans

Abstract

Caenorhabditis elegans changes its NaCl-associated behavior from attraction to avoidance following exposure to NaCl in the absence of food (salt chemotaxis learning). To understand the changes induced by chemotaxis learning at the neuronal network level, we modeled a neuronal network of chemotaxis and estimated the changes that occurred in the nervous system by comparing the neuronal connection weights prior to and after chemotaxis learning. Our results revealed that neurotransmission involving ASE and AIA neurons differed prior to and after chemotaxis learning. This partially corresponded to the experimental findings of previous studies. In addition, our computational inference results suggest the involvement of novel synapse connections in chemotaxis learning. Our approach to estimate changes of neurotransmission corresponding to learning may help in planning experiments in order of importance.