title: Physiology and biochemistry of peptidergic cotransmission in Aplysia.
abstract: The marine mollusc Aplysia, whose simple nervous system facilitates study of the neural basis of behavior, was used to investigate the role of peptidergic cotransmission in feeding behavior. Several novel modulatory neuropeptides were purified and localized to identified cholinergic motoneurons. Physiological and biochemical studies demonstrated that these peptides are released when the motoneurons fire at frequencies that occur during normal behavior, and that the peptides modify the relationship between muscle contraction amplitude and relaxation rate so as to maintain optimal motor output when the intensity and frequency of feeding behavior change.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Mt Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029.
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Brezina
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Cropper
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heierhorst
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Hooper
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Probst
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Rosen
authors.forename: F S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Vilim
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kupfermann
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001048:Aplysia / Q000502:physiology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000502:physiology; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000502:physiology*; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D009479:Neuropeptides; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents