TY - JOUR
T1 - Fate of abdominal ventral unpaired median cells during metamorphosis of the hawkmoth, Manduca sexta
AU - Pflüger, H. J.
AU - Witten, J. L.
AU - Levine, Richard B.
PY - 1993/9/22
Y1 - 1993/9/22
N2 - Each of the unfused abdominal ganglia in the larval, pupal, and adult stages of the hawkmoth, Manduca sexta, has two large ventral median neurons with axons that bifurcate to innervate targets on both sides of the abdomen. Although the dendritic structures of the two neurons are similar, their axons branch to innervate distinct sets of target muscles. During metamorphosis both neurons undergo dendritic regression, followed by growth of new arborizations during adult development. The neurons must innervate different targets in the larva and adult, since many larval muscles degenerate and are replaced during metamorphosis. Both neurons were reactive with an antibody to the neuromodulatory compound, octopamine, in the larval and adult stages. Pairwise intracellular recordings in isolated nerve cords revealed spontaneous excitatory synaptic potentials that occurred in the ventral median neurons of each ganglion in an anterior‐to‐posterior sequence. The synaptic potentials were eliminated when the interganglionic connective was interrupted posterior to the subesophageal ganglion. The ventral median neurons were also excited by tactile stimulation of the body surface in larvae, pupae and adults. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
AB - Each of the unfused abdominal ganglia in the larval, pupal, and adult stages of the hawkmoth, Manduca sexta, has two large ventral median neurons with axons that bifurcate to innervate targets on both sides of the abdomen. Although the dendritic structures of the two neurons are similar, their axons branch to innervate distinct sets of target muscles. During metamorphosis both neurons undergo dendritic regression, followed by growth of new arborizations during adult development. The neurons must innervate different targets in the larva and adult, since many larval muscles degenerate and are replaced during metamorphosis. Both neurons were reactive with an antibody to the neuromodulatory compound, octopamine, in the larval and adult stages. Pairwise intracellular recordings in isolated nerve cords revealed spontaneous excitatory synaptic potentials that occurred in the ventral median neurons of each ganglion in an anterior‐to‐posterior sequence. The synaptic potentials were eliminated when the interganglionic connective was interrupted posterior to the subesophageal ganglion. The ventral median neurons were also excited by tactile stimulation of the body surface in larvae, pupae and adults. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
KW - developmental neurobiology
KW - insect nervous system
KW - neuromodulatory
KW - octopamine
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U2 - 10.1002/cne.903350404
DO - 10.1002/cne.903350404
M3 - Article
C2 - 8227533
AN - SCOPUS:0027194438
VL - 335
SP - 508
EP - 522
JO - Journal of Comparative Neurology
JF - Journal of Comparative Neurology
SN - 0021-9967
IS - 4
ER -