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Commissural neurons of the electrosensory lateral line lobe of Apteronotus leptorhynchus: morphological and physiological characteristics

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Abstract

Extracellular injections of horseradish peroxidase were used to label commissural cells connecting the electrosensory lateral line lobes of the weakly electric fish Apteronotus leptorhynchus. Multiple commissural pathways exist; a caudal commissure is made up of ovoid cell axons, and polymorphic cells' axons project via a rostral commissure. Intracellular recording and labeling showed that ovoid cells discharge spontaneously at high rates, fire at preferred phases to the electric organ discharge, and respond to increased receptor afferent input with short latency partially adapting excitation. Ovoid cell axons ramify extensively in the rostro-caudal direction but are otherwise restricted to a single ELL subdivision. Polymorphic cells are also spontaneously active, but their firing is unrelated to the electric organ discharge waveform. They respond to increased receptor afferent activity with reduced firing frequency and response latency is long. Electrical stimulation of the commissural axons alters the behavior of pyramidal cells in the contralateral ELL. Basilar pyramidal cells are hyperpolarized and nonbasilar pyramidal cells are depolarized by this type of stimulation. The physiological results indicate that the ovoid cells participate in common mode rejection mechanisms and also suggest that the ELLs may function in a differential mode in which spatially restricted electrosensory stimuli can evoke heightened responses.

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Abbreviations

ccELL:

caudal commissure of the ELL

CE:

contralaterally excited

DML:

dorsal molecular layer

ELL:

electrosensory lateral line lobe

EOD:

electric organ discharge

HRP:

horseradish peroxidase

IE:

ipsilaterally excited

MTI:

mouth-tail inverted

MTN:

mouth-tail normal

rcELL:

rostral commissure of the ELL

TRI:

transverse inverted

TRN:

transverse normal

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, University of Oklahoma, 73019, Norman, OK, USA

    J. Bastian & J. Courtright

  2. Parmly Hearing Institute, Loyola University, 6525 North Sheridan Road, 60626, Chicago, IL, USA

    J. Crawford

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  1. J. Bastian
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  2. J. Courtright
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  3. J. Crawford
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Bastian, J., Courtright, J. & Crawford, J. Commissural neurons of the electrosensory lateral line lobe of Apteronotus leptorhynchus: morphological and physiological characteristics. J Comp Physiol A 173, 257–274 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00212690

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