Gating of afferent input by a central pattern generator.
Intracellular recordings from the sole proprioceptor (the oval organ) in the crab ventilatory system show that the nonspiking afferent fibers from this organ receive a cyclic hyperpolarizing inhibition in phase with the ventilatory motor pattern. Although depolarizing and hyperpolarizing current pulses injected into a single afferent will reset the ventilatory motor pattern, the inhibitory input is of sufficient magnitude to block afferent input to the ventilatory central pattern generator (CPG) for approximately 50% of the cycle period. It is proposed that this inhibitory input serves to gate sensory input to the ventilatory CPG to provide an unambiguous input to the ventilatory CPG.
Neurobiology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 45701, USA.
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D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001683:Biological Clocks / Q000502:physiology; D003386:Brachyura; D005260:Female; D017952:Ganglia, Invertebrate / Q000502:physiology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007323:Instinct; D008297:Male; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000502:physiology*; D010507:Periodicity; D011434:Proprioception / Q000502:physiology