title: Mutual coupling among insect neurosecretory cells with an ultradian firing rhythm.
abstract: Firing correlations were examined among four pairs of cerebral neurosecretory cells with an ultradian bursting rhythm in the pupal silkmoth Bombyx mori. Cross-correlation analyses of spiking activities between pairs of simultaneously active cells usually revealed a significant correlation of firings: 20-50% of spikes of a cell fired within 0.2 s before or after the other cell's spikes fired. The mutual, excitatory communication among neurosecretory cells make the set of cells a weakly coupled multi-oscillator system that may generates a pulsatile release pattern of their product, an insulin-related neuropeptide (bombyxin).
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan. tichiscb@mbox.nc.kyushu-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ichikawa
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D000204:Activity Cycles / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D012831:Bombyx / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009490:Neurosecretory Systems / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D011679:Pupa / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology