Open AccessThe spontaneous electrical activity of neurons in leech ganglia
Author(s) -
MoshtaghKhorasani Majid,
Miller Evan W.,
Torre Vincent
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
physiological reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.918
H-Index - 39
ISSN - 2051-817X
DOI - 10.1002/phy2.89
Subject(s) - leech , neuroscience , ganglion , neuron , electrical synapses , population , hirudo medicinalis , dorsum , biology , anatomy , chemistry , medicine , computer science , microbiology and biotechnology , intracellular , environmental health , world wide web , gap junction
Using the newly developed voltage‐sensitive dye VF2.1.Cl, we monitored simultaneously the spontaneous electrical activity of ~80 neurons in a leech ganglion, representing around 20% of the entire neuronal population. Neurons imaged on the ventral surface of the ganglion either fired spikes regularly at a rate of 1–5 Hz or fired sparse spikes irregularly. In contrast, neurons imaged on the dorsal surface, fired spikes in bursts involving several neurons. The overall degree of correlated electrical activity among leech neurons was limited in control conditions but increased in the presence of the neuromodulator serotonin. The spontaneous electrical activity in a leech ganglion is segregated in three main groups: neurons comprising Retzius cells, Anterior Pagoda, and Annulus Erector motoneurons firing almost periodically, a group of neurons firing sparsely and randomly, and a group of neurons firing bursts of spikes of varying durations. These three groups interact and influence each other only weakly.