RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Natural sensory context drives diverse brain-wide activity during C. elegans mating JF bioRxiv FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory SP 2020.09.09.289454 DO 10.1101/2020.09.09.289454 A1 Vladislav Susoy A1 Wesley Hung A1 Daniel Witvliet A1 Joshua E. Whitener A1 Min Wu A1 Brett J. Graham A1 Mei Zhen A1 Vivek Venkatachalam A1 Aravinthan D.T. Samuel YR 2020 UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2020/09/16/2020.09.09.289454.abstract AB Natural goal-directed behaviors often involve complex sequences of many stimulus-triggered components. Understanding how brain circuits organize such behaviors requires mapping the interactions between an animal, its environment, and its nervous system. Here, we use continuous brain-wide neuronal imaging to study the full performance of mating by the C. elegans male. We show that as each mating unfolds in its own sequence of component behaviors, the brain operates similarly between instances of each component, but distinctly between different components. When the full sensory and behavioral context is taken into account, unique roles emerge for each neuron. Functional correlations between neurons are not fixed, but change with behavioral dynamics. From the contribution of individual neurons to circuits, our study shows how diverse brain-wide dynamics emerge from the integration of sensory perception and motor actions within their natural context.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.