Figure 4.

Long-term photostimulation of cholinergic neurons uncovers a behavioral correlate of SV recycling defects in erp-1 and erp-1; unc-57 double mutants. (A) Contraction assay. Indicated numbers of animals of the indicated genotypes and ATR conditions were photostimulated for 2 min and filmed. Automated analysis of the body length demonstrates sustained contraction in wild-type animals, while erp-1 mutants show a progressive relaxation of the body length. Animals raised without ATR show no contraction. Means (thick lines) and SEM (lighter shades) of the body length of animals that were analyzable for each time point (at 30 frames per second). In some cases, this number was low for single time points (indicated for n numbers; see Supplementary Figures S3B,C for the numbers of analyzable (i.e., non-coiling) animals at each time point during the assay). Statistically significant differences, shown in (B) as means of means, were analyzed for the indicated time periods (5–25 s and 105–125 s). Paired and unpaired t-tests, with Bonferroni correction. ***p < 0.001; **p < 0.01; *p < 0.05. (C) Contraction assay as in (A), but for 1 min only, and comparing wild type, erp-1(ok462), unc-57(e406) as well as unc-57; erp-1 double mutants. For a statistical analysis of data in (C), see Supplementary Figure S3A.