Physiological development of a monosynaptic connection involved in an adult insect behavior
- 15 May 1980
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Wiley in Journal of Comparative Neurology
- Vol. 191 (2), 155-166
- https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.901910202
Abstract
Locust flight is an exclusively adult behavior whose neural basis has been extensively studied. The coordinated neural pattern underlying this behavior appears rapidly at the end of postembryonic development. This paper examines the ontogeny of elements of the nervous system involved in the behavior. Alternative extreme hypotheses are: (1) the neurons and synapses involved develop concomitant with the behavior, or (2) they are constructed early in development, and are activated at the appropriate time by, for example, the release of inhibition. These hypotheses were evaluated by selecting a synapse that is important in adult flight, and monitoring its physiological features during postembryonic development. The synapse between the forewing Stretch Receptor (SR) and the First Basalar (BA) motor neuron, two uniquely identified neurons, mediates a monosynaptic reflex which operates only in flight. The EPSP, initiated by SR in BA, was recorded intracellularly during the last four of six postembryonic instars. As early as third instar, the monosynaptic EPSP is present and appears to be as effective as in the adult. It also decrements and summates similarly in younger animals and adults. Therefore, some flight system synapses are present and effective throughout most of postembryonic development, and thus do not develop concomitant with the behavior.This publication has 40 references indexed in Scilit:
- Correlation of variability in structure with variability in synaptic connections of an identified interneuron in locustsJournal of Comparative Neurology, 1979
- The locust wing hinge stretch receptors. I. Primary sensory neurones with enormous central arborizationsJournal of Comparative Neurology, 1977
- The locust wing hinge stretch receptors. II. Variation, alternative pathways and ?mistakes? in the central arborizationsJournal of Comparative Neurology, 1977
- Pathfinding by Arthropod Sensory NervesPublished by Springer Nature ,1977
- Flight Mechanisms of the LocustPublished by Springer Nature ,1977
- Insect Flight as a System for the Study of the Development of Neuronal ConnectionsPublished by Springer Nature ,1974
- Neural mechanisms underlying behavior in the locust Schistocerca gregaria I. Physiology of identified motorneurons in the metathoracic ganglionJournal of Neurobiology, 1973
- The muscles of newly hatched Schistocerca gregaria larvae and their possible functions in hatching, digging and ecdysial movements (Insecta: Acrididae)Journal of Zoology, 1972
- The development of the flight pattern in the desert locust, Schistocerca gregariaJournal of Comparative Physiology A, 1971
- The development of the insect nervous system. I. An analysis of postembryonic growth in the terminal ganglion of Acheta domesticusJournal of Morphology, 1967