Fig. 6.

Behavioral characterization of C. elegans Δsnx-3 strain with extrachromosomal expression of worm snx-3 cDNA. a C. elegans snx-3 expression rescues worm motility behavior of the Δsnx-3 mutant. Locomotive behavior of two independent clones bearing pan-neuronal expression of C. elegans snx-3 is represented, as well as of the worms with spontaneous loss of the array. Comparing to control (N2), and taking into consideration Δsnx-3 mutant locomotive deficits, the mutant worms (1 and 2) with extrachromosomal expression of snx-3 displayed a low percentage of locomotive deficits (M = 16.06% with a SD = 6.29% and M = 17.7% with a SD = 6.95%, p = 1 respectively); whereas the worms that spontaneously lose the array displayed deficits which resembled the Δsnx-3 mutant (M = 34.80% with a SD = 5.00% and M = 38.53% with a SD = 13.55%, p = 0.017 and p = 0.02, respectively). Three independent experiments were performed with N > 50 per assay. One-way ANOVA analysis was performed and data represented as mean ± SD. b C. elegans snx-3 expression rescues worm chemotraction to IA of the Δsnx-3 mutant. Chemotaxis behavior of two independent clones bearing pan-neuronal expression of C. elegans snx-3 is represented, as well as of the worms with spontaneous loss of the array. Comparing to control (N2), and taking into consideration Δsnx-3 mutant chemotraction defects to IA, the mutant worms (1 and 2) with extrachromosomal expression of snx-3 displayed higher CTX index (M = 0.81 with a SD = 0.09 and M = 0.83 with a SD = 0.06, p = 1 respectively); whereas the worms that spontaneously lose the array displayed a CTX index which resembled the Δsnx-3 mutant (M = 0.58 with a SD = 0.08 and M = 0.48 with a SD = 0.10, p > 0.001, respectively). Three independent experiments were performed with N > 200 per assay. One-way ANOVA analysis was performed and data represented as mean ± SD