Widespread anatomical projections of the serotonergic modulatory neuron, CB1, in Aplysia

Although sensitization-related changes in the neural circuitry of withdrawal reflexes in Aplysia are well studied, relatively few studies address the organization of the modulatory components of sensitization. In particular, it is not known whether individual modulatory loci can simultaneously influence multiple reflex circuits. There is, however, evidence that a single modulatory transmitter, serotonin, plays a pivotal role in facilitating different reflex circuits during sensitization. Furthermore, it is known that activation of a pair of serotonergic neurons, the CB1s, produces heterosynaptic facilitation of the sensorimotor connections of one of these reflex circuits. These data together raise the possibility that the CB1s may produce sensitizing changes in the neural elements of multiple reflex systems simultaneously. In the present study, we utilized immunocytochemistry and intracellular labeling to obtain anatomical evidence of CB1's possible role in modulating multiple reflex circuits. We found that two distinct neurons satisfy previously published physiological criteria for CB1. One of these, CB1, is immunoreactive to serotonin. The second cell, here named CB2, has a different neuroanatomy and is not serotonin immunoreactive. Focusing on CB1, we found (1) profuse fine processes given off by its axons in the posterior neuropil of the cerebral ganglion, (2) extensive branching and fine processes in the pleural ganglion, and (3) a branch of CB1 that projects into the pedal ganglion. These three observations are consistent with the hypothesis that, in addition to its already established role in modulating the siphon withdrawal circuit, CB1 may also modulate synaptic connections between (1) the sensory and motor neurons of the tentacle withdrawal reflex (2) the sensory neurons and interneurons of the tail and tail-elicited siphon withdrawal reflex, and (3) the sensory and motor neurons of the tail withdrawal reflex. These observations support further physiological investigations of a possible global role of CB1 in modulating the tail and tentacle withdrawal reflexes.