The Journal of Neurophysiology Vol. 78 No. 1 July 1997, pp. 92-102
Copyright ©1997 The American Physiological Society

Passive Properties of Swimmeret Motor Neurons

Carolyn M. Sherff and Brian Mulloney

Section of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, Davis, California 95616-8755

Sherff, Carolyn M. and Brian Mulloney. Passive properties of swimmeret motor neurons. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 92-102, 1997. Four different functional types of motor neurons innervate each swimmeret: return-stroke excitors (RSEs), power-stroke excitors (PSEs), return-stroke inhibitors (RSIs), and power-stroke inhibitors (PSIs). We studied the structures and passive electrical properties of these neurons, and tested the hypothesis that different types of motor neurons would have different passive properties that influenced generation of the swimmeret motor pattern. Cell bodies of neurons innervating one swimmeret were clustered in two anatomic groups in the same ganglion. The shapes of motor neurons in both groups were similar, despite the differences in locations of their cell bodies and in their functions. Diameters of their axons in the swimmeret nerve ranged from <2 to ~35 µm. Resting membrane potentials, input resistances, and membrane time constants were recorded with microelectrodes in the processes of swimmeret motor neurons in isolated abdominal nerve cord preparations. Membrane potentials had a median of 59 mV, with 25th and 75th percentiles of 66.0 and 53 mV. The median input resistance was 6.4 M, with 25th and 75th percentiles of 3.4 and 13.7 M. Membrane time constants had a median of 9.3 ms, with 25th and 75th percentiles of 5.7 and 15.0 ms. Excitatory and inhibitory motor neurons had similar passive properties. RSE motor neurons were typically more depolarized than the other types, but the passive properties of RSE, PSE, RSI, and PSI neurons were not significantly different. Membrane time constants measured from cell bodies were briefer than those measured from neuropil processes, but membrane potentials and input resistances were not significantly different. The relative sizes of different motor neurons were measured from the sizes of their impulses recorded extracellularly from the swimmeret nerve. Smaller motor neurons had lower membrane potentials and were more likely to be active in the motor pattern than were large motor neurons. Motor neurons of different sizes had similar input resistances and membrane time constants. Motor neurons that were either oscillating or oscillating and firing in phase with the swimmeret motor pattern had lower average membrane potentials and longer time constants than those that were not oscillating. When the state of the swimmeret system changed from quiescence to continuous production of the motor pattern, the resting potentials, input resistances, and membrane time constants of individual swimmeret motor neurons changed only slightly. On average, both input resistance and membrane time constant increased. These similarities are considered in light of the functional task each motor neuron performs, and a hypothesis is developed that links the brief time constants of these neurons and graded synaptic transmission by premotor interneurons to control of the swimmeret muscles and the performance of the swimmeret system.

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