Responses to mechanically and visually cued water waves in the nervous system of the medicinal leech.
J Exp Biol
; 221(Pt 4)2018 02 22.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-29472489
ABSTRACT
Sensitivity to water waves is a key modality by which aquatic predators can detect and localize their prey. For one such predator - the medicinal leech, Hirudo verbana - behavioral responses to visual and mechanical cues from water waves are well documented. Here, we quantitatively characterized the response patterns of a multisensory interneuron, the S cell, to mechanically and visually cued water waves. As a function of frequency, the response profile of the S cell replicated key features of the behavioral prey localization profile in both visual and mechanical modalities. In terms of overall firing rate, the S cell response was not direction selective, and although the direction of spike propagation within the S cell system did follow the direction of wave propagation under certain circumstances, it is unlikely that downstream neuronal targets can use this information. Accordingly, we propose a role for the S cell in the detection of waves but not in the localization of their source. We demonstrated that neither the head brain nor the tail brain are required for the S cell to respond to visually cued water waves.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Estimulação Luminosa
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Comportamento Predatório
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Células Fotorreceptoras de Invertebrados
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Mecanotransdução Celular
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Hirudo medicinalis
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Mecanorreceptores
Limite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
J Exp Biol
Ano de publicação:
2018
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Estados Unidos