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bioRxiv
BIORXIV
bioRxiv
2692-8205
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

10.1101/2024.09.12.612524
preprint
1
Article
Track-A-Worm 2.0 : A Software Suite for Quantifying Properties of C. elegans Locomotion, Bending, Sleep, and Action Potentials
Vedantham Kiranmayi http://orcid.org/0009-0003-0828-6445

Niu Longgang http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7209-7436

Ma Ryan
Connelly Liam
Nagella Anusha
Wang Sijie Jason
Wang Zhao-Wen http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3574-8556

15 9 2024
2024.09.12.612524https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, which allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
http://biorxiv.org/lookup/doi/10.1101/2024.09.12.612524
nihpp-2024.09.12.612524.pdf
Abstract

Comparative analyses of locomotor behavior and cellular electrical properties between wild-type and mutant C. 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 . Track-A-Worm 2.0 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, reliably distinguish between the ventral and dorsal sides, 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 pre-upstroke inflection point. Track-A-Worm 2.0 is potentially a valuable tool for many C. elegans research labs due to its powerful functionality and ease of implementation.
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