Eliminating afferent impulse activity does not alter the dendritic branching of the amphibian Mauthner cell

In the developing amphibian, the formation of extra vestibular contacts on the Mauthner cell (M-cell) enhances dendritic branching, while deprivation reduces it (Goodman and Model, 1988a). The mechanism underlying the interaction between afferent fibers and developing dendritic branches is not known; neural activity may be an essential component of the stimulating effect. We examined the role of afferent impulse activity in the regulation of M-cell dendritic branching in the axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) embryo. M-cells occur as a pair of large, uniquely identifiable neurons in the axolotl medulla. Synapses from the ipsilateral vestibular nerve (nVIII) are restricted to a highly branched region of the M-cell lateral dendrite. We varied the amount of nVIII innervation and eliminated neural activity. First, unilateral transplantation of a vestibular primordium deprived some M-cells of nVIII innervation and superinnervated others. Second, surgical fusion of axolotls to TTX-harboring California newt (Taricha torosa) embryos paralyzed the Ambystoma twin: voltage-sensitive Na+ channel blockade by TTX eliminated action potential propagation. Reconstruction of M-cells in 18 mm larvae revealed that dendritic growth was influenced by in-growing axons even in the absence of incoming impulses: impulse blockade had no effect on the stimulation of dendritic growth by the afferent fibers.