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.
DiCaprio
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Neurobiology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 45701, USA.
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