Role of different dendrites in the functional activity of the central neuron controlling goldfish behavior

The structural mechanisms that control the neuronal functional activity maintaining the brain functional asymmetry were studied using the relationship between the function and structure of goldfish Mauthner neurons (MNs) responsible for fish motor asymmetry as a model. It was shown for the first time that the dominant activity in one of the two counter neurons symmetrically situated in the medulla oblongata directly correlates with changes in its integral volume and is inversely regulated by the size of its ventral dendrite. It is known that the variability of the neuron dimensions is due to changes in the actin component of the cytoskeleton. The experimental data presented are discussed in terms of the involvement of cytosol actin in the control of the volume of somata and the main dendrites of MNs with the participation of dopamine and glutamate, two major neurotransmitters that are known to regulate the function of MNs.