Non-overlapping neural networks in Hydra vulgaris
Open accessAbstract
To understand the emergent properties of neural circuits, it would be ideal to record the activity of every neuron in a behaving animal and decode how it relates to behavior. We have achieved this with the cnidarian Hydra vulgaris, using calcium imaging of genetically engineered animals to measure the activity of essentially all of its neurons. Although the nervous system of Hydra is traditionally described as a simple nerve net, we surprisingly find instead a series of functional networks that are anatomically non-overlapping and are associated with specific behaviors. Three major functional networks extend through the entire animal and are activated selectively during longitudinal contractions, elongations in response to light, and radial contractions, whereas an additional network is located near the hypostome and is active during nodding. These results demonstrate the functional sophistication of apparently simple nerve nets, and the potential of Hydra and other basal metazoans as a model system for neural circuit studies.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Many aspects of the nervous system are conserved between cnidarians and bilaterians, including neuropeptides and neurotransmitters.
“Though at least 600 million years of evolution separate cnidarians from bilaterians [9–16], many aspects of the nervous system are conserved, including neuropeptides and neurotransmitters [15–20].”
From The Jellyfish Cassiopea Exhibits a Sleep-like State (2017) · cites this paper as [19]
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
Fiji: an open-source platform for biological-image analysis
Schindelin, J., Arganda-Carreras, I., Frise, E., Kaynig, V., Longair, M., Pietzsch, T., Preibisch, S., Rueden, C., Saalfeld, S., Schmid, B., et al. (2012) · Nature Methods · doi:10.1038/nmeth.2019 · Cited by 66,890 · see citing works
NIH Image to ImageJ: 25 years of image analysis
Schneider, C. A., Rasband, W. S., & Eliceiri, K. W. (2012) · Nature Methods · doi:10.1038/nmeth.2089 · Cited by 64,638 · see citing works
Neural networks and physical systems with emergent collective computational abilities.
Hopfield, J. J. (1982) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.79.8.2554 · Cited by 19,270 · see citing works
“Neural” computation of decisions in optimization problems
Hopfield, J. J., & Tank, D. W. (1985) · Biological Cybernetics · doi:10.1007/bf00339943 · Cited by 6,035 · see citing works
Computer Control of Microscopes Using µManager
Edelstein, A., Amodaj, N., Hoover, K., Vale, R. D., & Stuurman, N. (2010) · Current Protocols in Molecular Biology · doi:10.1002/0471142727.mb1420s92 · Cited by 1,678 · see citing works
Chapman, J. A., Kirkness, E. F., Simakov, O., Hampson, S. E., Mitros, T., Weinmaier, T., Rattei, T., Balasubramanian, P. G., Borman, J., Busam, D., et al. (2010) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature08830 · Cited by 810 · see citing works
Simultaneous whole-animal 3D imaging of neuronal activity using light-field microscopy
Prevedel, R., Yoon, Y., Hoffmann, M., Pak, N., Wetzstein, G., Kato, S., Schrödel, T., Raskar, R., Zimmer, M., Boyden, E. S., et al. (2014) · Nature Methods · doi:10.1038/nmeth.2964 · Cited by 801 · see citing works
Brain-wide neuronal dynamics during motor adaptation in zebrafish
Ahrens, M. B., Li, J. M., Orger, M. B., Robson, D. N., Schier, A. F., Engert, F., & Portugues, R. (2012) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature11057 · Cited by 729 · see citing works
Yuste, R., & Katz, L. C. (1991) · Neuron · doi:10.1016/0896-6273(91)90243-s · Cited by 591 · see citing works
Self-citationThe Brain Activity Map Project and the Challenge of Functional Connectomics
Alivisatos, A. P., Chun, M., Church, G. M., Greenspan, R. J., Roukes, M. L., & Yuste, R. (2012) · Neuron · doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2012.06.006 · Cited by 562 · see citing works
Self-citationA quantitative method for maceration of hydra tissue
David, C. N. (1973) · Development Genes and Evolution · doi:10.1007/bf00577724 · Cited by 446 · see citing works
Mortality Patterns Suggest Lack of Senescence in Hydra
Martínez, D. E. (1998) · Experimental Gerontology · doi:10.1016/s0531-5565(97)00113-7 · Cited by 425 · see citing works
Whole-brain calcium imaging with cellular resolution in freely behaving Caenorhabditis elegans
Nguyen, J. P., Shipley, F. B., Linder, A. N., Plummer, G. S., Liu, M., Setru, S. U., Shaevitz, J. W., & Leifer, A. M. (2015) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1507110112 · Cited by 399 · see citing works
Coelenterate Ecology and Behavior
Mackie, G. O. (1976) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-4757-9724-4 · Cited by 368 · see citing works
Brain-wide 3D imaging of neuronal activity in Caenorhabditis elegans with sculpted light
Schrödel, T., Prevedel, R., Aumayr, K., Zimmer, M., & Vaziri, A. (2013) · Nature Methods · doi:10.1038/nmeth.2637 · Cited by 327 · see citing works
Brain-wide mapping of neural activity controlling zebrafish exploratory locomotion
Dunn, T. W., Mu, Y., Narayan, S., Randlett, O., Naumann, E. A., Yang, C.-T., Schier, A. F., Freeman, J., Engert, F., & Ahrens, M. B. (2016) · eLife · doi:10.7554/elife.12741 · Cited by 312 · see citing works
Whole-brain activity maps reveal stereotyped, distributed networks for visuomotor behavior
Portugues, R., Feierstein, C. E., Engert, F., & Orger, M. B. (2014) · Neuron · doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2014.01.019 · Cited by 305 · see citing works
Transgenic Hydra allow in vivo tracking of individual stem cells during morphogenesis
Wittlieb, J., Khalturin, K., Lohmann, J. U., Anton‐Erxleben, F., & Bosch, T. C. G. (2006) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.0510163103 · Cited by 298 · see citing works
A Post-Synaptic Scaffold at the Origin of the Animal Kingdom
Sakarya, O., Armstrong, K. A., Adamska, M., Adamski, M., Wang, I.-F., Tidor, B., Degnan, B. M., Oakley, T. H., & Kosik, K. S. (2007) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0000506 · Cited by 291 · see citing works
Visual stimuli recruit intrinsically generated cortical ensembles
Miller, J.-E. K., Ayzenshtat, I., Carrillo-Reid, L., & Yuste, R. (2014) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1406077111 · Cited by 288 · see citing works
Self-citationMémoires pour servir à l'histoire d'un genre de polypes d'eau douce, à bras en forme de cornes /
Trembley, A., Bayer, F. M., Lyonet, P., et al. (1744) · doi:10.5962/bhl.title.64073 · Cited by 270 · see citing works
Pan-neuronal imaging in roaming Caenorhabditis elegans
Venkatachalam, V., Ji, N., Wang, X., Clark, C., Mitchell, J. K., Klein, M., Tabone, C. J., Florman, J., Ji, H., Greenwood, J. S. F., et al. (2015) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1507109113 · Cited by 253 · see citing works
SPED Light Sheet Microscopy: Fast Mapping of Biological System Structure and Function
Tomer, R., Lovett-Barron, M., Kauvar, I., Andalman, A. S., Burns, V. M., Sankaran, S., Grosenick, L., Broxton, M. J., Yang, S., & Deisseroth, K. A. (2015) · Cell · doi:10.1016/j.cell.2015.11.061 · Cited by 240 · see citing works
Whole-animal functional and developmental imaging with isotropic spatial resolution
Chhetri, R. K., Amat, F., Wan, Y., Höckendorf, B., Lemon, W. C., & Keller, P. (2015) · Nature Methods · doi:10.1038/nmeth.3632 · Cited by 237 · see citing works
The Elementary Nervous System.
Parkhurst, H. H., & Parker, G. H. (1919) · The Journal of Philosophy Psychology and Scientific Methods · doi:10.2307/2940224 · Cited by 232 · see citing works
Panier, T., Romano, S. A., Olive, R., Pietri, T., Sumbre, G., Candelier, R., & Debrégeas, G. (2013) · Frontiers in Neural Circuits · doi:10.3389/fncir.2013.00065 · Cited by 201 · see citing works
Layden, M. J., Rentzsch, F., & Röttinger, É. (2016) · Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews Developmental Biology · doi:10.1002/wdev.222 · Cited by 148 · see citing works
Whole-brain functional imaging with two-photon light-sheet microscopy
Wolf, S., Supatto, W., Debrégeas, G., Mahou, P., Kruglik, S. G., Sintès, J.-M., Beaurepaire, E., & Candelier, R. (2015) · Nature Methods · doi:10.1038/nmeth.3371 · Cited by 147 · see citing works
THE LIGHT RESPONSE AND THE RHYTHMIC POTENTIALS OF HYDRA
Passano, L. M., & McCullough, C. B. (1962) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.48.8.1376 · Cited by 137 · see citing works
Co-Ordinating Systems and Behaviour in Hydra
Passano, L. M., & Mccullough, C. B. (1964) · Journal of Experimental Biology · doi:10.1242/jeb.41.3.643 · Cited by 135 · see citing works
On the Functions and Mode of Action of the Nematocysts of Hydra.
Ewer, R. F., & Fox, H. M. (1947) · Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London · doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.1947.tb00524.x · Cited by 129 · see citing works
ULTRASTRUCTURAL EVIDENCE OF POLARIZED SYNAPSES IN THE NERVE NET OF HYDRA
Westfall, J. A., Yamataka, S., & Enos, P. D. (1971) · The Journal of Cell Biology · doi:10.1083/jcb.51.1.318 · Cited by 125 · see citing works
Khalturin, K., Anton-Erxleben, F., Milde, S., Plötz, C., Wittlieb, J., Hemmrich, G., & Bosch, T. C. G. (2007) · Developmental Biology · doi:10.1016/j.ydbio.2007.06.013 · Cited by 125 · see citing works
Co-Ordinating Systems and Behaviour in Hydra
Passano, L. M., & McCullough, C. B. (1965) · Journal of Experimental Biology · doi:10.1242/jeb.42.2.205 · Cited by 110 · see citing works
Pacemaker Hierarchies Controlling the Behaviour of Hydras
Passano, L. M., & MCCULLOUGH, C. B. (1963) · Nature · doi:10.1038/1991174a0 · Cited by 101 · see citing works
Cnidocyte discharge is regulated by light and opsin-mediated phototransduction
Plachetzki, D. C., Fong, C. R., & Oakley, T. H. (2012) · BMC Biology · doi:10.1186/1741-7007-10-17 · Cited by 98 · see citing works
Nerve ring of the hypostome in Hydra. I. Its structure, development, and maintenance
Koizumi, O., Itazawa, M., Mizumoto, H., Minobe, S., Javois, L. C., Grimmelikhuijzen, C. J. P., & Bode, H. R. (1992) · The Journal of Comparative Neurology · doi:10.1002/cne.903260103 · Cited by 88 · see citing works
Two Slow Conduction Systems in the Sea Anemone Calliactis Parasitica
McFarlane, I. D. (1969) · Journal of Experimental Biology · doi:10.1242/jeb.51.2.377 · Cited by 86 · see citing works
A Novel Neuropeptide, Hym-176, Induces Contraction of the Ectodermal Muscle in Hydra
Yum, S., Takahashi, T., Koizumi, O., Ariura, Y., Kobayakawa, Y., Mohri, S., & Fujisawa, T. (1998) · Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications · doi:10.1006/bbrc.1998.8831 · Cited by 82 · see citing works
Excitability of nerve-free hydra
Campbell, R. D., Josephson, R. K., Schwab, W., & Rushforth, N. B. (1976) · Nature · doi:10.1038/262388a0 · Cited by 72 · see citing works
Passano, L. M. (1963) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.50.2.306 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
Flyception: imaging brain activity in freely walking fruit flies
Grover, D., Katsuki, T., & Greenspan, R. J. (2016) · Nature Methods · doi:10.1038/nmeth.3866 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
Kass‐Simon, G. (1972) · Journal of Comparative Physiology A · doi:10.1007/bf00694326 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
Neuro-epitheliomuscular cell and neuro-neuronal gap junctions inHydra
Westfall, J. A., Kinnamon, J. C., & Sims, D. (1980) · Journal of Neurocytology · doi:10.1007/bf01205015 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
BEHAVIORAL AND ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL STUDIES OF HYDRA. II. PACEMAKER ACTIVITY OF ISOLATED TENTACLES
Rushforth, N. B., & Burke, D. S. (1971) · Biological Bulletin · doi:10.2307/1540284 · Cited by 45 · see citing works
The distribution of nerve cells inHydra attenuata Pall.
EPP, L. G., & Tardent, P. (1978) · Development Genes and Evolution · doi:10.1007/bf00848677 · Cited by 45 · see citing works
Hansen, G. N., Williamson, M. P., & Grimmelikhuijzen, C. J. P. (2000) · Cell and Tissue Research · doi:10.1007/s004410000240 · Cited by 45 · see citing works
A neuropharmacological analysis of the pacemakers and conducting tissues ofHydra attenuata
Kass‐Simon, G., & Passano, L. M. (1978) · Journal of Comparative Physiology A · doi:10.1007/bf00668375 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Pacemaker activity in hydra is modulated by glycine receptor ligands
Ruggieri, R. D., Pierobon, P., & Kass‐Simon, G. (2004) · Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A Molecular & Integrative Physiology · doi:10.1016/j.cbpb.2004.03.015 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
Leeuwenhoek, A. V. (1703) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London · doi:10.1098/rstl.1702.0042 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
A Qualitative and Quantitative Inventory of Nervous Cells in Hydra Attenuata Pall
Tardent, P., & Weber, C. (1976) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-4757-9724-4_52 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
Generation of Transgenic Hydra by Embryo Microinjection
Juliano, C. E., Lin, H., & Steele, R. E. (2014) · Journal of Visualized Experiments · doi:10.3791/51888 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
Hansen, G., Williamson, M. P., & Grimmelikhuijzen, C. J. P. (2002) · Cell and Tissue Research · doi:10.1007/s00441-002-0534-y · Cited by 33 · see citing works
Field, I. A., & Parker, G. H. (1920) · The American Journal of Psychology · doi:10.2307/1413995 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Die Lichtreaktionen der Hydren
Haug, G. (1933) · Zeitschrift für Vergleichende Physiologie · doi:10.1007/bf00339035 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
The Ultrastructural Basis for the Electrical Coordination Between Epithelia of Hydra
Hufnagel, L. A., & Kass‐Simon, G. (1976) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-4757-9724-4_71 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
PackIO and EphysViewer: software tools for acquisition and analysis of neuroscience dataPreprint
Watson, B. O., Yuste, R., & Packer, A. M. (2016) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/054080 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Self-citationIncorporation of a Horizontally Transferred Gene into an Operon during Cnidarian Evolution
Dana, C. E., Glauber, K. M., Chan, T. A., Bridge, D. M., & Steele, R. E. (2012) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0031643 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Spontaneous and evoked potentials from dissociated epithelial cells of Hydra
Kass‐Simon, G., & Diesl, V. (1977) · Nature · doi:10.1038/265075a0 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
THE FEEDING RESPONSE OFHYDRA VIRIDIS:EFFECTS OF PREY DENSITY ON CAPTURE RATES
Lasker, H. R., SYRON, J. A., & Clayton, W. S. (1982) · Biological Bulletin · doi:10.2307/1540984 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Multifunctional features of a gastrodermal sensory cell inHydra: three-dimensional study
Westfall, J. A., Wilson, J. D., Rogers, R. A., & Kinnamon, J. C. (1991) · Journal of Neurocytology · doi:10.1007/bf01235543 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Extraocular spectral photosensitivity in the tentacles of Hydra vulgaris
Guertin, S. L., & Kass‐Simon, G. (2015) · Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A Molecular & Integrative Physiology · doi:10.1016/j.cbpa.2015.02.016 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Kay, J. C., & Kass‐Simon, G. (2009) · Biological Bulletin · doi:10.1086/bblv216n2p113 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 1
- [55]Westfall Ja Kinnamon Sims 1980 Neuro-neuronal gap junctions in Hydra J Neurocytol 9 725 732 7205334
Cited by
Sorted by citations
The Jellyfish Cassiopea Exhibits a Sleep-like State
Nath, R. D., Bedbrook, C. N., Abrams, M. J., Basinger, T., Bois, J. S., Prober, D. A., Sternberg, P. W., Gradinaru, V., & Goentoro, L. (2017) · Current Biology · doi:10.1016/j.cub.2017.08.014 · Cited by 260 · see citing works
Reframing cognition: getting down to biological basics
Lyon, P., Keijzer, F., Arendt, D., & Levin, M. (2021) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rstb.2019.0750 · Cited by 275 · see citing works
Reafference and the origin of the self in early nervous system evolution
Jékely, G., Godfrey-Smith, P., & Keijzer, F. (2021) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B · doi:10.1098/rstb.2019.0764 · Cited by 119 · see citing works
A neural circuit architecture for rapid learning in goal-directed navigation
Dan, C., Hulse, B. K., Kappagantula, R., Jayaraman, V., & Hermundstad, A. M. (2024) · Neuron · doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2024.04.036 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
A neural circuit architecture for rapid behavioral flexibility in goal-directed navigation
Dan, C., Hulse, B. K., Kappagantula, R., Jayaraman, V., & Hermundstad, A. M. (2021) · doi:10.1101/2021.08.18.456004 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
- Authors
- Dupre, C., & Yuste, R.
- Affiliations
- Columbia University (US)
- ORCID
- Yuste, Rafael
- Venue
- Current Biology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2017-04
- Volume
- 27
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 1085-1097
- ISSN
- 0960-9822 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC5423359
- OpenAlex
- W2598736099
- Cited by
- 197
- References
- 63
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 22 · 2024: 28 · 2023: 30 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 28 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 21 · 2018: 17 · 2017: 13
- FWCI
- 13.06
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Current Biology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Columbia Academic Commons (Columbia University)
- Funders
- NIH (DP1EY024503)
- Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) (HR0011-17-C-0026)
- US Army Research Laboratory
- US Army Research Office (W911NF-12-1-0594)
- MURI
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Marine Invertebrate Physiology and Ecology
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research
- Keywords
- Hydra vulgaris, neural circuits, nerve net, calcium imaging, longitudinal contraction, radial contraction, hypostome, basal metazoans, neural circuit evolution
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Calcium, Hydra, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Microscopy, Fluorescence, Models, Biological, Nerve Net, Nervous System Physiological Phenomena, Neurons, Animals, Genetically Modified, Green Fluorescent Proteins
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
