Patterns and projections of crustacean cardioactive-peptide-immunoreactice neurones of the terminal ganglion of crayfish

Abstract

Three distinct clusters of crustacean cardioactive-peptide-immunoreactive neurones occur in the terminal abdominal ganglion of the crayfish species Orconectes limosus, Astacus leptodactylus, Astacus astacus and Procambarus clarkii, as revealed by immunocytochemistry of whole-mount preparations and sections. They exhibit similar topology and projection patterns in all four studied species. An anterior ventral lateral and a posterior lateral cluster contain one small, strongly stained perikaryon and two large, less intensely stained perikarya, each showing contralateral projections. A posterior medial lateral cluster of up to six cells also contains these two types of perikarya. Whereas the small type perikarya belong to putative interneurones, the large type perikarya give rise to extensive neurohaemal plexuses in perineural sheaths of the third roots of the fifth abdominal ganglia, the connectives, the dorsal telson nerves, the ganglion itself, its roots and arteriolar supply. Thin fibres from these plexuses reach newly discovered putative neurohaemal areas around the hindgut and anus via the intestinal and the anal nerves, and directly innervate the phasic telson musculature. A comparison with earlier investigations of motoneurones and segmentation indicates that these three cell groups containing putative neurosecretory neurones may be members of at least three neuromeres in this ganglion. Crustacean cardioactive peptide released from these neurones may participate in the neurohumoral and modulatory control of different neuronal and muscle targets, thereby exceeding its previously established hindgut and heart excitatory effects.