PUBLICATION

Primitive roles for inhibitory interneurons in developing frog spinal cord

Authors
Li, W.C., Higashijima, S., Parry, D.M., Roberts, A., and Soffe, S.R.
ID
ZDB-PUB-040625-13
Date
2004
Source
The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience   24(25): 5840-5848 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Higashijima, Shin-ichi
Keywords
locomotion, glycine, inhibition, spinal, interneuron, transcription
MeSH Terms
  • Action Potentials
  • Animals
  • Evoked Potentials
  • Homeodomain Proteins/metabolism
  • In Vitro Techniques
  • Interneurons/metabolism
  • Interneurons/physiology*
  • Larva
  • Neurons, Afferent/physiology
  • Patch-Clamp Techniques
  • Spinal Cord/cytology
  • Spinal Cord/physiology*
  • Swimming
  • Xenopus
  • Xenopus Proteins
PubMed
15215306 Full text @ J. Neurosci.
Abstract
Understanding the neuronal networks in the mammal spinal cord is hampered by the diversity of neurons and their connections. The simpler networks in developing lower vertebrates may offer insights into basic organization. To investigate the function of spinal inhibitory interneurons in Xenopus tadpoles, paired whole-cell recordings were used. We show directly that one class of interneuron, with distinctive anatomy, produces glycinergic, negative feedback inhibition that can limit firing in motoneurons and interneurons of the central pattern generator during swimming. These same neurons also produce inhibitory gating of sensory pathways during swimming. This discovery raises the possibility that some classes of interneuron, with distinct functions later in development, may differentiate from an earlier class in which these functions are shared. Preliminary evidence suggests that these inhibitory interneurons express the transcription factor engrailed, supporting a probable homology with interneurons in developing zebrafish that also express engrailed and have very similar anatomy and functions.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping