Structural Properties of the Caenorhabditis elegans Neuronal Network

Despite recent interest in reconstructing neuronal networks, complete wiring diagrams on the level of individual synapses remain scarce and the insights into function they can provide remain unclear. Even for Caenorhabditis elegans, whose neuronal network is relatively small and stereotypical from animal to animal, published wiring diagrams are neither accurate nor complete and self-consistent. Using materials from White et al. and new electron micrographs we assemble whole, self-consistent gap junction and chemical synapse networks of hermaphrodite C. elegans. We propose a method to visualize the wiring diagram, which reflects network signal flow. We calculate statistical and topological properties of the…

• NS
  National Science Foundation

  Awards: 0729069, 0836720, 0325774
• NI
  National Institutes of Health

  Award: RR 12596
• DF
  Directorate for Biological Sciences
• AE
  Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University
• MR
  Medical Research Council
• NI
  National Institute of Mental Health