Type: Interneuron, stretch sensitive sensory neuron
Connectivity:
- In MoW: DVA
- In WormWiring: DVA_h, DVA_m
- In Nemanode: DVA
In Wormbase: DVA
Lineage: AB prppppapp
Location: Dorsorectal ganglion
Description: Monopolar ring interneuron with cell body located in the dorso-rectal ganglion. Sends process the length of the ventral cord and enters into the right side of the nerve ring.
Neurotransmitter/ Neuropeptide:
- Acetylcholine
[N.B. DVA is cholinergic, while DVC is not]
(Pereira et al., 2015; Duerr et al., 2008)

Innexin expression:
- INX-1a
- INX-1b
- INX-3
- INX-7
- INX-10
- INX-13
- INX-14
- INX-17
- INX-18
- UNC-7
- UNC-9
(Altun et al., 2009; Bhattacharya et al., 2019)
Receptor expression:
- Possibly GGR-3; GABA-A/glycine receptor-like protein
- GLR-4; glutamate receptor subunit
- GLR-5; glutamate receptor subunit
- NMR-1; glutamate receptor subunit
- SER-2; tyramine receptor (a splice variant)
- SER-4; serotonin receptor, variably expressed (the neuron can be DVC instead)
- TRP-4; mechanosensitive TRPN channel
(Li et al., 2006; Tsalik et al., 2003; Brockie et al., 2001; Fujiwara et al., 1996)
Function:
- Mechanosensory integration. The PVD and DVA neurons are presynaptic to both the forward and backing interneurons, and provide input to both the anterior and posterior touch circuits. Animals lacking these neurons respond to tap stimulus with diminished forward accelerations and reversals. These neurons, therefore, seem to maintain the overall activity of the touch circuit (Wicks et al., 1996; Driscoll and Kaplan, 1997; Goodman, 2007).
- Proprioception. DVA represents a stretch receptor neuron that regulates sensory-motor integration during C. elegans locomotion. trp-4, a homologue of the mechanosensitive TRPN channel, acts as a stretch-sensitive proprioceptor in DVA. DVA both positively and negatively modulates locomotion, providing a unique mechanism whereby a single neuron can fine-tune motor activity (Li et al., 2006).
Reporters:
- At CGC: OH15623 otIs706 [nlp-12p::TagRFP]
- Other: