Neuroscience 2005 Abstract
| Presentation Number: | 176.18 |
|---|---|
| Abstract Title: | The chordotonal receptor involvement in touch-evoked escape in cockroaches. |
| Authors: |
Mathenia, N. R.*1
; Baba, Y.1
; Malchow, R. P.1
; Comer, C.1
1Biology, Univ. of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL |
| Primary Theme and Topics |
Sensory and Motor Systems - Invertebrate Sensory and Motor Systems -- Invertebrate sensori-motor integration |
| Session: |
176. Invertebrate Sensorimotor Interactions I Poster |
| Presentation Time: | Sunday, November 13, 2005 9:00 AM-10:00 AM |
| Location: | Washington Convention Center - Hall A-C, Board # AA28 |
| Keywords: | INSECT, SENSORIMOTOR, BEHAVIOR, NETWORK |
The escape response of cockroaches, Periplaneta americana, can be triggered by abrupt tactile stimulation of the antennae. Several descending mechanosensory interneurons (DMIs) are believed to be involved in antennal touch-evoked escape. In particular, DMIa-1 is a cell of the protocerebrum that responds to antennal touch and has a crossed axon that descends to the thoracic ganglia (Ye and Comer 1996). Deflection of one antenna elicits a contraversively directed escape turn and then a run. It is not known what antennal receptors activate the DMIs and provide the crucial trigger for escape. It is clear that the receptor(s) is located in or on the basal antennal segments (SFN abstract Baba and Comer 2003), but many types of receptors are located there. We have selectively ablated receptors at the antennal base and then correlated the effects on the behavior with effects on activation of DMIs.
Removal of hair plates at the antennal base had no significant impact on antennal touch-evoked escape. However, removal of chordotonal organs in the pedicle produced clear-cut effects. Unilaterally lesioned animals showed a decrease in the number of escape responses, but animals with bilateral chordotonal organ ablations showed a near complete loss of escape responses to stimuli touching an antenna. Extracellular recordings from the neck connectives of lesioned animals showed a decrease in the number of large amplitude spikes which correlated with changes in tactually evoked escape behavior. These data suggest that the chordotonal organ plays a major role in escape behavior, and are consistent with previous findings suggesting DMI involvement in tactually evoked escape responses.
Removal of hair plates at the antennal base had no significant impact on antennal touch-evoked escape. However, removal of chordotonal organs in the pedicle produced clear-cut effects. Unilaterally lesioned animals showed a decrease in the number of escape responses, but animals with bilateral chordotonal organ ablations showed a near complete loss of escape responses to stimuli touching an antenna. Extracellular recordings from the neck connectives of lesioned animals showed a decrease in the number of large amplitude spikes which correlated with changes in tactually evoked escape behavior. These data suggest that the chordotonal organ plays a major role in escape behavior, and are consistent with previous findings suggesting DMI involvement in tactually evoked escape responses.
Supported by Supported by NSF grant# 0422883
Sample Citation:
[Authors]. [Abstract Title]. Program No. XXX.XX. 2005 Neuroscience Meeting Planner. Washington, DC: Society for Neuroscience, 2005. Online.
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