Computational Model for C. elegans’ Thermotaxis

Caenorhabditis elegans is a free-living transparent worm, about 1 mm in length, inhabiting temperate regions across the Earth. This worm is a widely used research model for studying biological phenomena. Its connectome is fully known, consisting of 302 neurons which include 68 sensory neurons that detect chemicals, touch, and temperature. Most studies involving C. elegans are experimental, rather than computational, particularly concerning temperature effects. This research builds upon an existing model by including temperature features in the differential equations representing the worm’s thermotaxis behavior. The equations allow for a methodology to predict the calcium response of a single C. elegans amphid finger-like neuron (AFD) to various temperatures by employing a dynamical mechanism and without requiring intricate physiological parameters. Our work indicates that calcium responses in AFD neurons may be conceptualized as a biochemical process in which activation and inactivation are modulated by temperature Arrhenius factors. We model two coupled AFD neurons to study directional locomotion in an environment with a temperature gradient. The AFD neurons, located on the left and right sides of the worm's presumed nose, sense temperatures on each side. Based on sensed temperatures and the worm’s cultivation temperature, coded information may be sent to motor outputs to direct movement left or right, depending upon where the worm is located.