title: Temperature sensitivity of the pyloric neuromuscular system and its modulation by dopamine.
abstract: We report here the effects of temperature on the p1 neuromuscular system of the stomatogastric system of the lobster (Panulirus interruptus). Muscle force generation, in response to both the spontaneously rhythmic in vitro pyloric network neural activity and direct, controlled motor nerve stimulation, dramatically decreased as temperature increased, sufficiently that stomach movements would very unlikely be maintained at warm temperatures. However, animals fed in warm tanks showed statistically identical food digestion to those in cold tanks. Applying dopamine, a circulating hormone in crustacea, increased muscle force production at all temperatures and abolished neuromuscular system temperature dependence. Modulation may thus exist not only to increase the diversity of produced behaviors, but also to maintain individual behaviors when environmental conditions (such as temperature) vary.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, United States of America. thuma@ohio.edu
authors.forename: Jeffrey B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Thuma
authors.forename: Kevin H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Hobbs
authors.forename: Helaine J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Burstein
authors.forename: Natasha S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Seiter
authors.forename: Scott L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Hooper
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004298:Dopamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004777:Environment; D009132:Muscles / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000294:innervation* / Q000502:physiology; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D009420:Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects*; D033521:Palinuridae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011708:Pylorus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000294:innervation* / Q000502:physiology; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D004298:Dopamine