Biology subjects

Sanfeliu-Cerdan, N.

Publications and source records attributed to Sanfeliu-Cerdan, N..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Neural sensing of surface traction modulates proprioceptive activity and locomotion in Caenorhabditis elegans

Locomotion -- whether walking, running, or crawling -- depends on the precise coordination of forces between the body and its surroundings. Two critical factors in this process are the force that resists the relative motion between two bodies, and mechanosensation, the bodys ability to sense and respond to mechanical forces. Together, they allow organisms to move efficiently, adapt to varying environments, and maintain balance. Here we show that the gentle touch receptor neurons (TRNs) in the Caenorhabditis elegans body wall are sensitive to dynamic surface traction. Using a combination of calcium recordings and traction force microscopy in freely moving animals, microfluidics, and whole connectome computer simulations, we show that MEC-4 DEG/ENaC ion channel activity depends on the crawling velocity and friction force. Mutations disrupting MEC-4 activity and body wall mechanoreceptor function produce lethargic worms with impaired proprioceptive regulation, suggesting functional coupling between surface mechanoreceptors and proprioceptors. Our data reveal a new role for classical touch receptors in locomotion and critically define the mechanical modality sensed by skin mechanosensors.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2025

Periodic Obstacles Regulate Membrane Tension Propagation to Enable Localized Mechanotransduction

Forces applied to cellular membranes lead to transient membrane tension gradients. The way membrane tension propagates away from the stimulus site into the membrane reservoir is a key property in cellular adaptation. However, it remains unclear how tension propagation in membranes is regulated and how it depends on the cell type. Here, we investigate plasma membrane tension propagation in cultured Caenorhabditis elegans mechanosensory neurons. We show that tension propagation travels quickly and is restricted to a particular distance in the neurites -- projections from the cell body of a neuron. A biophysical model of tension propagation suggests that periodic obstacle density and arrangement play key roles in controlling the propagation of mechanical information. Our experiments show that tension propagation is strongly dependent on the intact actin and microtubule cytoskeleton, whereas membrane lipid properties have minimal impact. In particular, the organization of the /{beta}-spectrin network and the MEC-2 stomatin condensates in periodic scaffold act as barriers to tension propagation, limiting the spread of tension. Our findings suggest that restricting membrane tension propagation in space and time enables precise localized signaling, allows a single neuron to process mechanical signals in multiple distinct domains, thus expanding its computational capacity.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2022

A rigidity phase transition of Stomatin condensates governs a switch from transport to mechanotransduction

A large body of work suggests that biomolecular condensates ensuing from liquid-liquid phase separation mature into various material states. How this aging process is controlled and if the naive and mature phases can have differential functions is currently unknown. Using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model, we show that MEC-2 Stomatin undergoes a rigidity phase transition during maturation from fluid to viscoelastic, glass-like condensates that facilitate either transport or mechanotransduction. This switch is promoted by the SH3 domain of UNC-89/Titin/Obscurin through a direct interaction with MEC-2 and suggests a physiological role for a percolation transition in force transmission during body wall touch. Together, our data demonstrate a novel function for rigidity maturation during mechanotransduction and a previously unidentified role for Titin homologs in neurons.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2021

Deploying photons for communication within neuronal networks

Deficiencies in neurotransmission lead to neurological disorders or misinterpretation of perceived threats. To restore defects in cellular communication, we developed a synthetic, photon-assisted synaptic transmission (PhAST) system. PhAST is based on luciferases and channelrhodopsins that enable the transmission of a neuronal state across space, using photons as neurotransmitters. We demonstrate the ability to overcome synaptic barriers and rescue the behavioral deficit of a genetically engineered glutamate mutant with conditional, Ca2+-triggered photon emission between two cognate neurons of the Caenorhabditis elegans nociceptive avoidance circuit. We also deploy these ingredients for asynaptic transmission between two unrelated cells in a sexually dimorphic neuronal network. Functional PhAST could sensitize otherwise poorly responsive males to touch and hence expand the behavioral repertoire. Our study, thus, establishes a powerful framework for complex photon-based communication between neurons in a living animal, that can readily be expanded to synthetic neuronal networks, organoids or non-invasive brain-machine interfaces.

synthetic biology↗