Flow-based network analysis of the Caenorhabditis elegans connectome

TL;DR

This study uses flow propagation analysis on the C. elegans connectome to identify functionally relevant neurons and flow-based groupings, providing insights into its neural organization and potential targets for in vivo studies.

Contribution

It introduces a flow-based network analysis approach to reveal functional and anatomical features of the C. elegans connectome, including neuron roles and critical ablations.

Findings

Flow-based neuron groupings at multiple scales

Identification of neurons critical for flow disruption

Four distinct flow roles linked to biological functions

Abstract

We exploit flow propagation on the directed neuronal network of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to reveal dynamically relevant features of its connectome. We find flow-based groupings of neurons at different levels of granularity, which we relate to functional and anatomical constituents of its nervous system. A systematic in silico evaluation of the full set of single and double neuron ablations is used to identify deletions that induce the most severe disruptions of the multi-resolution flow structure. Such ablations are linked to functionally relevant neurons, and suggest potential candidates for further in vivo investigation. In addition, we use the directional patterns of incoming and outgoing network flows at all scales to identify flow profiles for the neurons in the connectome, without pre-imposing a priori categories. The four flow roles identified are linked to signal propagation motivated by biological input-response scenarios.