Volume 860, Issue 1 p. 226-238

Frequency Control of a Slow Oscillatory Network by a Fast Rhythmic Input: Pyloric to Gastric Mill Interactions in the Crab Stomatogastric Nervous Systema

EVE MARDER

EVE MARDER

Volen Center and Biology Department, Brandeis University, MS 013, 415 South Street, Waltham, Massachusetts 02254, USA

E-mail: [email protected]

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YAIR MANOR

YAIR MANOR

Volen Center and Biology Department, Brandeis University, MS 013, 415 South Street, Waltham, Massachusetts 02254, USA

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FARZAN NADIM

FARZAN NADIM

Volen Center and Biology Department, Brandeis University, MS 013, 415 South Street, Waltham, Massachusetts 02254, USA

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MARLENE BARTOS

MARLENE BARTOS

Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine, 215 Stemmler Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA

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MICHAEL P. NUSBAUM

MICHAEL P. NUSBAUM

Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine, 215 Stemmler Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA

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First published: 07 February 2006
Citations: 15

This research was supported by NIH grants NS17813, MH46742, NS29436 and the Sloan Center for Theoretical Neurobiology at Brandeis University.

Abstract

Abstract: The stomatogastic nervous system of the crab, Cancer borealis, produces a slow gastric mill rhythm and a fast pyloric rhythm. When the gastric mill rhythm is not active, stimulation of the modulatory commissural ganglion neuron 1 (MCN1) activates a gastric mill rhythm in which the lateral gastric (LG) neuron fires in antiphase with interneuron 1 (Int1). We present theoretical and experimental data that indicate that the period of the MCN1 activated gastric mill rhythm depends on the strength and time course of the MCN1 evoked slow excitatory synaptic potential (EPSP) in the LG neuron, and on the strength of inhibition of Int 1 by the pacemaker of the pyloric network. This work demonstrates a new mechansim by which a slow network oscillator can be controlled by a much faster oscillatory neuron or network and suggests that modulation of the slow oscillator can occur by direct actions on the neurons and synapses of the slow oscillator, or indirectly by actions on the fast oscillator and its synaptic connection with the slow oscillator.