Nanoscale Mechanical Stimulation Method for Quantifying C. elegans Mechanosensory Behavior and Memory

Withdrawal escape response of C. elegans to nonlocalized vibration is a useful behavioral paradigm to examine mechanisms underlying mechanosensory behavior and its memory-dependent change. However, there are very few methods for investigating the degree of vibration frequency, amplitude and duration...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Analytical Sciences 2016/11/10, Vol.32(11), pp.1159-1164
Main Authors: SUGI, Takuma, OKUMURA, Etsuko, KISO, Kaori, IGARASHI, Ryuji
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analytical Chemistry
Animals
Behavior
Behavior, Animal
C. elegans
Caenorhabditis elegans
Caenorhabditis elegans - physiology
Chemistry
Equipment Design
Escape behavior
Escape Reaction
Habituation
Habituation (learning)
Mechanical stimuli
Mechanosensory behavior
Mechanotransduction, Cellular
Memory
Nanotechnology - methods
Nematodes
Neurons - physiology
Original Papers
Piezoelectricity
Stress, Mechanical
Touch
Vibration
withdrawal escape response
Worms
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Summary:Withdrawal escape response of C. elegans to nonlocalized vibration is a useful behavioral paradigm to examine mechanisms underlying mechanosensory behavior and its memory-dependent change. However, there are very few methods for investigating the degree of vibration frequency, amplitude and duration needed to induce behavior and memory. Here, we establish a new system to quantify C. elegans mechanosensory behavior and memory using a piezoelectric sheet speaker. In the system, we can flexibly change the vibration properties at a nanoscale displacement level and quantify behavioral responses under each vibration property. This system is an economic setup and easily replicated in other laboratories. By using the system, we clearly detected withdrawal escape responses and confirmed habituation memory. This system will facilitate the understanding of physiological aspects of C. elegans mechanosensory behavior in the future.
ISSN:0910-6340
1348-2246
DOI:10.2116/analsci.32.1159