Data from: Whole-organism behavioral profiling reveals a role for dopamine in state-dependent motor program coupling in C. elegans.

Animal behaviors are commonly organized into long-lasting states that
coordinately impact the generation of diverse motor outputs such as
feeding, locomotion, and grooming. However, the neural mechanisms that
coordinate these diverse motor programs remain poorly understood. Here, we
examine how the distinct motor programs of the nematode C.
elegans are coupled together across behavioral states. We
describe a new imaging platform that permits automated, simultaneous
quantification of each of the main C. elegans motor
programs over hours or days. Analysis of these whole-organism behavioral
profiles shows that the motor programs coordinately change as animals
switch behavioral states. Utilizing genetics, optogenetics, and calcium
imaging, we identify a new role for dopamine in coupling locomotion and
egg-laying together across states. These results provide new insights into
how the diverse motor programs throughout an organism are coordinated and
suggest that neuromodulators like dopamine can couple motor circuits
together in a state-dependent manner.

动物行为通常可被划分为持续时长较长的行为状态，这些状态协同调控包括取食、运动及梳理行为在内的多种运动输出的产生。然而，协调这些多样运动程序的神经机制仍有待深入解析。本研究旨在探究秀丽隐杆线虫（C. elegans）的不同运动程序如何在不同行为状态间实现协同耦合。我们开发了一种新型成像平台，可实现对秀丽隐杆线虫主要运动程序长达数小时乃至数天的自动化、同步定量分析。对该全生物体行为谱的分析结果显示，当线虫切换行为状态时，其运动程序会发生协同性变化。我们借助遗传学、光遗传学及钙成像技术，发现多巴胺在跨状态耦合运动与产卵行为过程中发挥了全新的调控作用。本研究结果为解析生物体如何协调多样运动程序提供了全新视角，同时也表明多巴胺这类神经调质可通过状态依赖的方式实现运动环路间的协同耦合。