Functional recoveries of giant interneurons in the early period after unilateral cercal ablation in the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus.
Wind-sensitive giant interneurons (GIs) in the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus show functional recovery after unilateral cercal ablation. Physiological properties such as threshold velocity and response magnitude (number of action potentials elicited) of GIs 8-1, 9-1, 9-2 and 9-3 to an air puff stimulus were investigated in crickets reared under the condition that permitted free walking for 6 days after unilateral cercal ablation ("6-day-free" crickets). The results were compared to those previously obtained from crickets 1 day after unilateral cercal ablation ("1-day-free" crickets) to clarify functional changes during an early 5-day period after the sensory deprivation. Each GI showed a large functional change, despite the short period after the ablation. However, the degree of physiological change was different from one GI to another and from one stimulus direction to another. The direction at which the GIs showed physiological change during the 5-day period coincided well with that at which the GIs received excitatory sensory inputs from filiform hairs on the remaining cercus. It seems that the synaptic connection or efficacy between sensory neurons of filiform hairs with particular directionality on the one remaining cercus and GIs increased during the 5-day recovery period.
Kanou
Masamichi
M
Sciences of Biological Functions, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Ehime University, Matsuyama 790-8577, Japan. kanou@mserv.sci.ehime-u.ac.jp
Kuroishi
Hiroyuki
H
D000200:Action Potentials; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006135:Gryllidae; D007395:Interneurons / Q000502:physiology*; D012679:Sense Organs / Q000294:innervation*; D013997:Time Factors