Mark J. Alkema

The paper introduces modWorm, a modular framework for modeling C. elegans neuro-mechanics, and shows it can simulate and analyze sensorimotor behaviors and neural circuits.

This study shows that VPS13D mutations in C. elegans cause mitochondrial dysfunction and locomotion defects, mirroring human SCAR4 disorders.

This study identifies Comamonas aquatica as a neuroprotective bacterium that prevents axon degeneration by providing Vitamin B12 to reduce homocysteine toxicity in C. elegans.

This study identifies INS-3 as a key insulin-like peptide modulated by tyramine that influences stress resistance and reproductive development in C. elegans.

This study shows that PARP inhibition enhances synapse reformation in regenerating axons, improving functional recovery after axon injury.

This paper shows that endocannabinoids stimulate the insulin pathway to modulate cholesterol mobilization in C. elegans.

This study shows that vitamin B12-producing gut bacteria modulate excitatory neurotransmission in C. elegans by altering the methionine/SAM cycle and choline oxidation pathway.

This study identifies age-related disruptions in excitatory/inhibitory balance in C. elegans neurons, showing that inhibitory signaling loss and calcium channel mutations contribute to functional decline.

The paper shows that the NLP-12 neuropeptide system in C. elegans modulates head and body motor circuits through CKR-1 and CKR-2 GPCRs to regulate food search behavior.

The paper identifies a male-specific neuropeptide-receptor module that drives a sex-specific behavioral response to the pheromone ascr#8 in C. elegans.

This study shows that corollary discharge from the motor circuit to the sensory processing circuit in C. elegans sustains motor state during thermotactic navigation.

This study identifies a gain-of-function mutation in the UNC-2/CaV2α channel in C. elegans that causes hyperactivity and excitation-dominant synaptic transmission by altering cholinergic and GABAergic transmission.

The paper shows that a neurotransmitter receptor in C. elegans is co-opted for inter-organismal communication via pheromone sensing.

The paper shows that acute stress impairs cytoprotective mechanisms by inhibiting the insulin pathway through neural release of tyramine in C. elegans.

The paper identifies class A motor neurons in C. elegans as intrinsic oscillators driving reverse locomotion without premotor interneurons.

The paper presents an instrument for simultaneously manipulating and monitoring neural activity and behavior in freely moving C. elegans, focusing on mechanosensory circuits.