Cholinergic transmission at the first synapse of the circuit mediating the crayfish lateral giant escape reaction

1. The chemical synapses between mechanoreceptor neurons and first-order interneurons in the lateral giant (LG) neuron escape circuit of the crayfish have plastic properties, some of which are believed to be the basis for behavioral habituation and sensitization. In this investigation pharmacological experiments were conducted to assess the role of cholinergic synaptic transmission in this pathway. 2. Arterial perfusion of the cholinergic agonist carbachol produced increased activity of many abdominal nerve cord units, including an identified first-order interneuron (interneuron A) in the LG circuit. A general increase in activity of interneurons in this circuit in the presence of certain cholinergic agonists was inferred from an increase in the frequency of occurrence of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) recorded in the LG. 3. Cholinergic antagonists reduced the amplitude of spontaneous and evoked sensory neuron-to-interneuron A EPSPs and decreased the disynaptic (via 1st-order interneurons) component of evoked EPSPs in the LG. These effects indicate that postsynaptic cholinergic receptors are utilized in mechanosensory synaptic transmission to the first-order interneurons of this circuit. The relative potencies of the blockers tested (mecamylamine > picrotoxin >>> curare > atropine) suggest that the receptors on the interneurons belong to a previously characterized class of crustacean cholinergic receptors that resemble the ganglionic nicotinic subtype of vertebrates. 4. Nicotinic agonists (carbachol, tetramethylammonium hydroxide, 1,1-dimethyl-4-phenyl-piperazium iodide) produced depolarizing (decreased input resistance) responses on the LG neuron itself. These responses persisted during blockade of chemical transmission by cobalt. The presence of cholinergic receptors on the LG, a cell in which all known inputs mediating sensory excitation are electrical, is discussed. 5. Application of muscarinic agonists (pilocarpine, oxotremorine) resulted in a long-lasting reduction of the evoked sensory neuron-to-interneuron A EPSP and the disynaptic component of the evoked EPSP in the LG. No effects on the membrane potential or input resistance of the interneurons were detected. It is proposed that presynaptic receptors with a muscarinic profile are present on mechanosensory neurons and that these receptors mediate a reduction of transmitter release.