Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Connectivity changes in a class of motoneurone during the development of a nematode

  • Letter
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Abstract

THE ventral nerve cord of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans contains a linear array of motoneurones (Fig. 1) which innervate the body muscles that mediate locomotion. The adult ventral cord has about three times as many cells as that of the first stage larva. The development events that generate the adult complement of cells occur in a period preceding the first larval moult. During this period we find that a class of pre-existing, juvenile motoneurones changes its pattern of connectivity. Neuromuscular junctions are removed from ventral muscles and are reformed onto dorsal muscles. Similarly the dendritic input to these neurones changes over from the dorsal to the ventral side.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. White, J. G., Southgate, E., Thomson, J. N. & Brenner, S. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 275, 327–348 (1976).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Sulston, J. E. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 275, 287–297 (1976).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Sulston, J. E. & Horvitz, H. R. Devl Biol. 56, 110–156 (1976).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Ward, S., Thomson, N., White, J. G. & Brenner, S. J. comp. Neurol. 160, 313–337 (1975).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Truman, J. W. & Reiss, S. E. Science 192, 477–479 (1976).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Sharma, S. C. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 69, 2637–2639 (1972).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Hills Road, Cambridge, UK

    J. G. WHITE, D. G. ALBERTSON & M. A. R. ANNESS

Authors
  1. J. G. WHITE
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. D. G. ALBERTSON
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M. A. R. ANNESS
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

WHITE, J., ALBERTSON, D. & ANNESS, M. Connectivity changes in a class of motoneurone during the development of a nematode. Nature 271, 764–766 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1038/271764a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/271764a0

  • Springer Nature Limited

This article is cited by

Search

Navigation