Biomaterial Database

Programmed Cell Death Modifies Neural Circuits and Tunes Intrinsic Behavior. 2023

Alison Kochersberger, and Mohammad Mahdi Torkashvand, and Dongyeop Lee, and Saba Baskoylu, and Titas Sengupta, and Noelle Koonce, and Chloe E Emerson, and Nandan V Patel, and Daniel Colón-Ramos, and Steven Flavell, and H Robert Horvitz, and Vivek Venkatachalam, and Marc Hammarlund

Department of Genetics and Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine; New Haven, CT 06536, USA.

Programmed cell death is a common feature of animal development. During development of the C. elegans hermaphrodite, programmed cell death (PCD) removes 131 cells from stereotyped positions in the cell lineage, mostly in neuronal lineages. Blocking cell death results in supernumerary "undead" neurons. We find that undead neurons can be wired into circuits, can display activity, and can modify specific behaviors. The two undead RIM-like neurons participate in the RIM-containing circuit that computes movement. The addition of these two extra neurons results in animals that initiate fewer reversals and lengthens the duration of those reversals that do occur. We describe additional behavioral alterations of cell-death mutants, including in turning angle and pharyngeal pumping. These findings reveal that, like too much PCD, too little PCD can modify nervous system function and animal behavior.