Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Central pattern generator for swimming in Melibe.

Stuart Thompson1, Winsor H Watson

  • 1Department of Biological Sciences, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA. stuartt@stanford.edu

The Journal of Experimental Biology
|March 23, 2005
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Effects of Feeding Horseshoe Crabs (<i>Limulus polyphemus</i>) on Their Recovery after Being Bled.

The Biological bulletin·2024
Same author

Long-term circatidal rhythms of heart rate, gill ventilation, and locomotion in the American horseshoe crab, <i>Limulus polyphemus</i> (Arthropoda: Chelicerata: Merostomata: Limulidae).

Journal of crustacean biology : a quarterly of the Crustacean Society for the publication of research on any aspect of the biology of crustacea·2024
Same author

Impacts of Increasing Temperature on the Metabolism of Confined and Freely Moving American Lobsters (<i>Homarus americanus</i>).

The Biological bulletin·2024
Same author

A Circadian Rhythm of Visual Sensitivity in the American Lobster, <i>Homarus americanus</i>.

The Biological bulletin·2023
Same author

Competition between the heavy atom effect and vibronic coupling in donor-bridge-acceptor organometallics.

Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP·2020
Same author

Computational biomechanical analyses demonstrate similar shell-crushing abilities in modern and ancient arthropods.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2018

Researchers identified a neural circuit, the central pattern generator (CPG), controlling swimming in the sea slug Melibe leonina. This CPG network comprises four interneurons that coordinate rhythmic body bending for locomotion.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Animal Behavior
  • Marine Biology

Background:

  • The nudibranch mollusc Melibe leonina exhibits rhythmic side-to-side swimming.
  • Understanding the neural basis of locomotion is crucial for deciphering motor control.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify and characterize the neural network responsible for Melibe leonina's swimming behavior.
  • To elucidate the cellular and synaptic mechanisms underlying this locomotor CPG.

Main Methods:

  • Electrophysiological recordings and neuronal stimulation in Melibe leonina.
  • Identification of key interneurons (sint1, sint2) involved in swimming.
  • Analysis of synaptic connections and their role in motor pattern generation.

Main Results:

Related Experiment Videos

  • A four-neuron central pattern generator (CPG) network, consisting of two pairs of interneurons (sint1 and sint2), was identified.
  • These interneurons coordinate ipsilateral bending via electrical synapses and contralateral movements through mutual inhibition.
  • Stimulating or inhibiting specific interneurons quantitatively altered swimming phase and direction.

Conclusions:

  • The identified four-neuron network constitutes the CPG for Melibe leonina swimming.
  • Distinct roles for sint1 and sint2 in swimming and crawling suggest a hierarchical motor control system.
  • The binding of sint1 and sint2 activity generates alternating swimming movements.