Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.06.02.129825v1?rss=1 Authors: Sando, S. R., Bhatla, N., Lee, E. L. Q., Horvitz, H. R. Abstract: Neural control of muscle function is fundamental to animal behavior. In many cases, specific muscles can generate multiple distinct behaviors. Nonetheless, individual muscle cells are generally regarded as the smallest units of motor control. Here we report that muscle cells can alter their behavioral output by contracting subcellularly. We previously discovered that noxious tastes reverse the flow of material through the C. elegans pharynx, a neuromuscular pump, resulting in spitting. We now show that spitting is driven by the contraction of subcellular regions of individual muscle cells. Localized calcium signals accompany these contractions. Spitting is controlled by an "hourglass" circuit motif: parallel neural pathways converge onto a single motor neuron that differentially controls multiple muscles and the critical subcellular muscle compartment. In short, we find that subcellular muscle units enable modulatory motor control and propose that subcellular muscle contraction is a fundamental mechanism by which neurons can reshape motor function. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info