Atlas of Neuron Perturbations Affecting Behavioral Timing in C. elegans

C. elegans presents a unique opportunity for understanding principles of neural computation. Employing manipulation at the single-neuron level via rapidly switchable chemical silencing, we aimed to uncover timescales governing behavior. Here, we present our results for interneurons that are known to be key to chemotaxis. Our measurements of single- and double-neuron silencing revealed intriguing patterns in behavioral suppression and recovery dynamics. Initial states with reduced activity of AIB and RIB neurons led to a prolonged suppression of forward locomotion, while reduced activity in most other interneurons only briefly affected behavior. Notably, we observed that the recovery timescale for the RIB neuron extended over several minutes, indicating a slow recovery process. We used optogenetic activation to dissect the underlying causes of long-timescale recovery. Double-neuron perturbations revealed unexpected epistatic interactions. By exploring the timescale of behavioral dynamics, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of neural computation within the context of a simple yet highly informative model organism.