PUBLICATION

Function of identified motoneurones and co-ordination of primary and secondary motor systems during zebra fish swimming

Authors
Liu, D.W. and Westerfield, M.
ID
ZDB-PUB-961014-712
Date
1988
Source
The Journal of physiology   403: 73-89 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Liu, Dennis, Westerfield, Monte
Keywords
none
MeSH Terms
  • Action Potentials
  • Animals
  • Cyprinidae/physiology*
  • Motor Neurons/physiology*
  • Muscles/innervation
  • Swimming*
  • Time Factors
  • Zebrafish/physiology*
PubMed
3253426 Full text @ J. Physiol.
Abstract
1. The activity of the two classes of motoneurones, primary and secondary, which innervate myotomal muscle fibres in the zebra fish, was monitored with electromyographic and intracellular techniques. 2. Simultaneous EMG and intracellular recordings from muscle fibres showed that the activity of the two motor systems and of individual primary motoneurones can be distinguished by recording EMG spikes during swimming. 3. Measurements of EMG spikes demonstrated that primary and secondary motoneurones are co-ordinately activated over a wide range of conditions during normal swimming. 4. During swimming the primary motoneurones within a given segment are usually co- activated although they sometimes fire independently. 5. When different primary motoneurones within a given segment are co- activated, they fire nearly synchronously. 6. We conclude that the primary motoneurones are used principally, although not exclusively, during fast swimming, struggling and the startle response, whereas secondary motoneurones function primarily during slower swimming.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping