Topological Cluster Analysis Reveals the Systemic Organization of the Caenorhabditis elegans Connectome

Abstract
The modular organization of networks of individual neurons interwoven through synapses has not been fully explored due to the incredible complexity of the connectivity architecture. Here we use the modularity-based community detection method for directed, weighted networks to examine hierarchically organized modules in the complete wiring diagram (connectome) of Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) and to investigate their topological properties. Incorporating bilateral symmetry of the network as an important cue for proper cluster assignment, we identified anatomical clusters in the C. elegans connectome, including a body-spanning cluster, which correspond to experimentally identified functional circuits. Moreover, the hierarchical organization of the five clusters explains the systemic cooperation (e.g., mechanosensation, chemosensation, and navigation) that occurs among the structurally segregated biological circuits to produce higher-order complex behaviors.
Description
Keywords
Citation
Sohn Y, Choi M-K, Ahn Y-Y, Lee J, Jeong J (2011) Topological Cluster Analysis Reveals the Systemic Organization of the Caenorhabditis elegans Connectome. PLoS Comput Biol 7(5): e1001139. doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1001139
DOI
Relation
Rights
Copyright: 2011 Sohn et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Type
Article
Collections