At fixed gene partner counts, changing most pairs kept neuron degree ranks similar in the 2024 short-range C. elegans peptide map

We tested how exact peptide and receptor gene pairs affect the order of highly connected neurons. We used the February 2024 C. elegans peptide map: 302 neuron labels, 49 peptide genes, 51 receptor genes, and 92 pairs at 500 nM. Every altered map kept each gene's partner count, all expression profiles, and all spatial limits fixed. In 8,000 altered maps, an average of 84.6% of molecular pairs changed. The short-range neuron degree ranks had mean Spearman correlation 0.939 with the source map (central reference range 0.904–0.965). Expected overlap with the original top 25 was 88.0%; overlap with the top six was 52.7%. Uniform tie selection was included in these scores. Density within the high-degree half was 0.698 in the source and had a reference mean of 0.695 (range 0.653–0.758). Within-family changes and a 100 nM cutoff gave the same broad pattern. The full long-range rank correlation was 0.852, and ranks within its original top quarter were much less stable. Independent sampling and arithmetic checks passed. These results separate stable overall degree order from more sensitive leading-neuron selection in this fixed model. The altered molecular matches are controls, not measured binding pairs. The ranges do not describe variation between worms. The package preserves all source inputs, hashes, 18,000 altered molecular graphs, scores, code, figures, and repeat instructions.

connectome · Caenorhabditis elegans · neuropeptide · gene expression · network hubs · null model · molecular specificity · reproducibility