Introduction: behavioral genetics--the third century

Immobilization of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans with addressable light-induced heat knockdown (ALINK)

Caenorhabditis (C.) elegans is a model animal used in genetics, neuroscience, and developmental biology. Researchers often immobilize squirming worms to obtain high-quality images for analysis. However, current methods usually require physical contact or anesthetics. This can cause injuries to worm bodies or neuron disturbances. This study presents an alternative technique, called addressable light-induced heat knockdown (ALINK), to effectively immobilize worms by using light-induced sublethal heat. A microchip composed of an indium-tin-oxide (ITO) glass plate and an ITO glass plate coated with a photoconductive layer (a-Si:H) was produced. Worms to be immobilized were immersed in a liquid medium and sandwiched between the two plates. When the worms were irradiated with a focused laser beam in the presence of electric fields (referred to as an optoelectric treatment), the optoelectric effect heated the liquid medium. The neural functions of the worms shut down temporarily when a critical temperature (>31 °C) was reached. Their neural functions resumed after the heat source was removed. A temperature above 37 °C killed all worms. Using short-wavelength light reduced the worms' recovery time. An equivalent circuit was modeled to predict the operating modes, and an optoelectric treatment with a high-concentration medium enhanced rapid heating. A safe operating range (20 Vpp (peak-to-peak voltage), 100 kHz to 10 MHz, 31 to 37 °C) to induce heat knockdown (KD) was also investigated. The results show that the heat KD was well controlled, autonomous, and reversible. This technique can be used for worm immobilization.

Dielectrophoresis of Caenorhabditis elegans

We demonstrate for the first time the dielectrophoretic trapping and manipulation of a whole animal, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We studied the effect of the electric field on the nematode as a function of field intensity and frequency. We identified a range of electric field intensities and frequencies that trap worms without apparent adverse effect on their viability. Worms tethered by dielectrophoresis (DEP) exhibit behavioral responses to blue light, indicating that at least some of the nervous system functions are unimpaired by the electrical field. DEP is useful to dynamically tether nematodes, sort nematodes according to size, and separate dead worms from live ones.

Quantitative trait loci for locomotor behavior in Drosophila melanogaster

Locomotion is an integral component of most animal behaviors and many human diseases and disorders are associated with locomotor deficits, but little is known about the genetic basis of natural variation in locomotor behavior. Locomotion is a complex trait, with variation attributable to the joint segregation of multiple interacting quantitative trait loci (QTL), with effects that are sensitive to the environment. We assessed variation in a component of locomotor behavior (locomotor reactivity) in a population of 98 recombinant inbred lines of Drosophila melanogaster and mapped four QTL affecting locomotor reactivity by linkage to polymorphic roo transposable element insertion sites. We used complementation tests of deficiencies to fine map these QTL to 12 chromosomal regions and complementation tests of mutations to identify 13 positional candidate genes affecting locomotor reactivity, including Dopa decarboxylase (Ddc), which catalyzes the final step in the synthesis of serotonin and dopamine. Linkage disequilibrium mapping in a population of 164 second chromosome substitution lines derived from a single natural population showed that polymorphisms at Ddc were associated with naturally occurring genetic variation in locomotor behavior. These data implicate variation in the synthesis of bioamines as a factor contributing to natural variation in locomotor reactivity.

Chemosensory behavior of semi-restrained Caenorhabditis elegans

A new behavioral assay is described for studying chemosensation in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. This assay presents three main characteristics: (1) the worm is restrained by gluing, preserving correlates of identifiable behaviors; (2) the amplitude and time course of the stimulus are controlled by the experimenter; and (3) the behavior is recorded quantitatively. We show that restrained C. elegans display behaviors comparable to those of freely moving worms. Moreover, the chemosensory response of wild-type glued animals to changes in salt concentration is similar to that of freely moving animals. This glued-worm assay was used to reveal new chemosensory deficits of the potassium channel mutant egl-2. We conclude that the glued worm assay can be used to study the chemosensory regulation of C. elegans behavior and how it is affected by neuronal or genetic manipulations.