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Postural interneurons in the abdominal nervous system of lobster

I. Organization, morphologies and motor programs for flexion, extension and inhibition

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Summary

  1. 1.

    Using intracellular recording and dye-filling techniques, a survey of postural interneurons was undertaken by impaling their somata in the 2nd abdominal ganglion of lobster.

  2. 2.

    During the course of study approximately fourty different intersegmental interneurons in this ganglion were sampled. Of these, 8 evoked unique, patterned responses in the postural (superficial) motoneurons; each could be identified morphologically.

  3. 3.

    Five of the 8 interneurons had caudally directed axons; 4 of these projected beyond the 4th abdominal ganglion. The remainder projected rostrally, beyond the 1st abdominal ganglion.

  4. 4.

    The postural interneurons were classified according to the motor program they elicited. Five were flexion producing interneurons (FPIs), one was extension producing (EPI), and two generated only inhibitory motor outputs. All motor responses were bilateral and occurred in several segments, including A2.

  5. 5.

    Two neurons, FPIs 201 and 301, produced the full motor reciprocity that typically is observed when flexion command fibers are stimulated. However, three of the FPIs and the single EPI did not express complete reciprocity in synergistic and antagonistic motoneurons.

  6. 6.

    The results indicate that some interneurons displaying all of the properties of command neurons are located entirely within the abdominal nervous system. The overall organization of posture-evoking interneurons appears to be similar to that found in crayfish, suggesting an even more fundamental homology in the neuronal connectivities of these two species than has been established previously.

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Abbreviations

2 :

second root

s3 :

third root, superficial branch

A1, A2, A3, A4 :

first, second, third, fourth abdominal ganglia

AC :

anterior connective

c :

contralateral

cm :

current monitor

EPI :

extension producing interneuron

FPI :

flexion producing interneuron

i :

ipsilateral

L :

left

PC :

posterior connective

R :

right

SEMN :

superficial extensor motoneurons (e1-e6)

SFMN :

superficial flexor motoneurons (f1-f6)

T5 :

fifth thoracic ganglion

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Author notes

  1. Kenneth A. Jones

    Present address: Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 02115, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences and Bureau of Biological Research, Rutgers University, 08854, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA

    Kenneth A. Jones & Charles H. Page

Authors
  1. Kenneth A. Jones
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  2. Charles H. Page
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Jones, K.A., Page, C.H. Postural interneurons in the abdominal nervous system of lobster. J. Comp. Physiol. 158, 259–271 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01338569

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01338569

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