The Neuronal Basis of the Behavioral Choice between Swimming and Shortening in the Leech: Control Is Not Selectively Exercised at Higher Circuit Levels

Author:

Shaw Brian K.,Kristan Jr. William B.

Abstract

Swimming and the whole-body shortening reflex are two incompatible behaviors performed by the medicinal leechHirudo medicinalis. We set out to examine the neuronal basis of the choice between these behaviors, taking advantage of the fact that the neuronal circuit underlying swimming is relatively well understood. The leech swim circuit is organized hierarchically and contains three interneuronal levels, including two upper levels of “command-like” neurons. We tested the responses of the swim circuit neurons to stimuli that produced shortening, using reduced preparations in which neurophysiological recording could be performed while behaviors were elicited. We found that the majority of the swim circuit neurons, including most of the command-like cells and all of the cells at the highest hierarchical level of the circuit, were excited by stimuli that produced shortening as well as by stimuli that produced swimming. Only a subset of neurons, at levels below the top, were inhibited during shortening; these included one of the command-like cells and an oscillator cell (an interneuron that is part of the central pattern generator for swimming). These results imply that the control of the choice between swimming and shortening is not exercised selectively at the higher levels of the swim circuit.

Publisher

Society for Neuroscience

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.7亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2025 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3