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Different effects of the biogenic amines dopamine, serotonin and octopamine on the thoracic and abdominal portions of the escape circuit in the cockroach

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Summary

  1. 1.

    The escape behavior of the cockroach, Periplaneta americana, is known to be modulated under various behavioral conditions (Camhi and Volman 1978; Camhi and Nolen 1981; Camhi 1988). Some of these modulatory effects occur in the last abdominal ganglion (Daley and Delcomyn 1981a, b; Libersat et al. 1989) and others in the thoracic ganglia (Camhi 1988). Neuromodulator substances are known to underlie behavioral modulation in various animals. Therefore, we have sought to determine whether topical application of putative neuromodulators of the escape circuit enhance or depress this circuit, and whether these effects differ in the last abdominal vs. the thoracic ganglia.

  2. 2.

    Topical application of the biogenic amines serotonin and dopamine to the metathoracic ganglion modulates the escape circuitry within this ganglion; serotonin decreases and dopamine enhances the response of leg motoneurons to activation of interneurons in the abdominal nerve cord by electrical or wind stimulation (Figs. 2–7).

  3. 3.

    The neuropil of the thoracic ganglia contains many catecholamine-histofluorescent processes bearing varicosities, providing a possible anatomical substrate for dopamine release sites (Fig. 8).

  4. 4.

    Topical application of octopamine to the terminal abdominal ganglion enhances the response of abdominal interneurons to wind stimulation of the cerci (Figs. 10, 11). In contrast, serotonin and dopamine have no effect at this site (Figs. 9, 11).

  5. 5.

    It is proposed that release of these biogenic amines may contribute to the known modulation of the cockroach escape response.

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Abbreviations

GI :

abdominal giant interneuron

TI :

thoracic giant interneuron

5-HT :

5-hydroxytryptamine(serotonin)

CNS :

central nervous system

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Author notes

  1. Ronald S. Goldstein

    Present address: Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Hadassah Medical school, Hebrew University-Ein Karem, Jerusalem, Israel

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neurobehavior Unit, Department Zoology, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel

    Ronald S. Goldstein & Jeffrey M. Camhi

Authors
  1. Ronald S. Goldstein
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  2. Jeffrey M. Camhi
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Goldstein, R.S., Camhi, J.M. Different effects of the biogenic amines dopamine, serotonin and octopamine on the thoracic and abdominal portions of the escape circuit in the cockroach. J Comp Physiol A 168, 103–112 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00217108

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