RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 <em>Track-A-Worm 2.0</em>: A Software Suite for Quantifying Properties of <em>C. elegans</em> Locomotion, Bending, Sleep, and Action Potentials
JF eneuro
JO eNeuro
FD Society for Neuroscience
SP ENEURO.0224-25.2025
DO 10.1523/ENEURO.0224-25.2025
VO 12
IS 8
A1 Vedantham, Kiranmayi
A1 Niu, Longgang
A1 Ma, Ryan
A1 Connelly, Liam
A1 Nagella, Anusha
A1 Wang, Sijie Jason
A1 Wang, Zhao-Wen
YR 2025
UL http://www.eneuro.org/content/12/8/ENEURO.0224-25.2025.abstract
AB Comparative analyses of locomotor behavior and cellular electrical properties between wild-type and mutant Caenorhabditis elegans are crucial for exploring the gene basis of behaviors and the underlying cellular mechanisms. Although many tools have been developed by research labs and companies, their application is often hindered by implementation difficulties or lack of features specifically suited for C. elegans. Our system addresses these challenges with three key components: WormTracker, SleepTracker, and Action Potential (AP) Analyzer. WormTracker accurately quantifies a comprehensive set of locomotor and body bending metrics, incorporates user-identified dorsal and ventral orientation based on microscopic observation, continuously tracks the animal using a motorized stage, and seamlessly integrates external devices, such as a light source for optogenetic stimulation. SleepTracker detects and quantifies sleep-like behavior in freely moving animals. AP Analyzer assesses the resting membrane potential, afterhyperpolarization level, and various AP properties, including threshold, amplitude, mid-peak width, rise and decay times, and maximum and minimum slopes. Importantly, it addresses the challenge of AP threshold quantification posed by the absence of a preupstroke inflection point. This system is potentially a valuable tool for many C. elegans research labs due to its powerful functionality and ease of implementation.