Motor program initiation and selection in crickets, with special reference to swimming and flying behavior

Matsuura, Tetsuya; Kanou, Masamichi; Yamaguchi, Tsuneo

doi:10.1007/s00359-001-0269-3

Cited by 20 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…But in Acheta foreleg and middle leg strokes never cross, other than as described by Matsuura et al (Matsuura et al, 2002). Generally, the power strokes are performed with the whole legs under water (in hindlegs most of the femur remains over the water) whereas for the return strokes the legs are lifted und move partly through the air.…”

Section: Swimming On Watermentioning

confidence: 95%

Ballistic movements of jumping legs implemented as variable components of cricket behaviour

Hustert

Baldus

2010

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARYBallistic accelerations of a limb or the whole body require special joint mechanisms in many animals. Specialized joints can be moved by stereotypic or variable motor control during motor patterns with and without ballistic components. As a model of variable motor control, the specialized femur-tibia (knee) joints of cricket (Acheta domesticus) hindlegs were studied during ballistic kicking, jumping and swimming and in non-ballistic walking. In this joint the tendons of the antagonistic flexor and the extensor muscles attach at different distances from the pivot and the opposed lever arms form an angle of 120deg. A 10:1 ratio of their effective lever arms at full knee flexion helps to prepare for most ballistic extensions: the tension of the extensor can reach its peak while it is restrained by flexor co-contraction. In kicks, preparatory flexion is rapid and the co-contraction terminates just before knee extensions. Therefore, mainly the stored tension of the extensor muscle accelerates the small mass of the tibia. Jumps are prepared with slower extensor-flexor co-contractions that flex both knees simultaneously and then halt to rotate both legs outward to a near horizontal level. From there, catapult extension of both knees accelerates the body, supported by continued high frequency motor activity to their tibia extensor muscles during the ongoing push-off from the substrate. Premature extension of one knee instantly takes load from the lagging leg that extends and catches up, which finally results in a straight jump. In swimming, synchronous ballistic power strokes of both hindlegs drive the tibiae on a ventral-to-posterior trajectory through the water, well coordinated with the swimming patterns of all legs. In walking, running and climbing the steps of the hindlegs range between 45deg flexion and 125deg extension and use non-ballistic, alternating activity of knee flexor and extensor muscles. Steep climbing requires longer bursts from the extensor tibiae muscles when they support the extended hindlegs against gravity forces when the body hangs over. All ballistic movements of cricket knees are elicited by a basic but variable motor pattern: knee flexions by co-contraction of the antagonists prepare catapult extensions with speeds and forces as required in the different behaviours.

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Section: Swimming On Watermentioning

confidence: 95%

Ballistic movements of jumping legs implemented as variable components of cricket behaviour

Hustert

Baldus

2010

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…This system for evading predators seems to have been replaced in some insect groups, such Hemiptera and holometabola, by visual startle mechanisms with the same function (Edwards and Reddy, 1986). The stimulation of cercal wind-receptors triggers different motor patterns according to the behavioral context, that is, walking, flying, and swimming, and different escape strategies are executed, even in closely related species (Hirota et al, 1993;Matsuda et al, 2002;Kanou et al, 2006).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The terminal abdominal ganglion of the wood cricket Nemobius sylvestris

Insausti

Lazzari

Casas

2008

Journal of Morphology

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The abdominal cerci of the wood cricket, Nemobius sylvestris, are covered by a variety of hair-like sensilla that differ in length, thickness, and articulation. Fillings from the cercal nerves with cobalt chloride and fluorescent dyes revealed the projection of sensory axons into the terminal abdominal ganglion of the ventral nerve chain. Two projection areas on each side of the terminal abdominal ganglion midline could be identified: a posterior cercal glomerulus and an anterior bristle neuropil. Axons from some cercal sensilla ascend through the connectives to reach the metathoracic ganglionic mass. As their axons pass through each segmental abdominal ganglion, they project medial arborization. Cross-sections of the terminal abdominal ganglion and retrograde fills with cobalt chloride and fluorescent dyes from connectives revealed several small cells and seven pairs of giant ascending interneurons organized symmetrically. Giant somata are located contralateral to their axons (diameters between 20 and 45 lm). The cercal projections overlap extensively with the dendritic fields of the giant interneurons. In the terminal abdominal ganglion, we identified nine longitudinal tracts, two major tracts, and seven smaller ones. The functional implications of the neuranatomical organization of the system are discussed on a comparative basis.

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“…The identification of multifunctional projection interneurons raises the question as to how the same activity pattern in these interneurons can encode the initiation process of multiple behaviors. It is generally thought that the behavior elicited depends on the integration of multiple factors such as sensory cues, hormone or neuromodulator levels, and behavorial state (Brodfuehrer et al 2006;Hedwig 2000;Libersat and Pflueger 2004;Matsuura et al 2002;Watson and Ritzman 1994).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Activation of two forms of locomotion by a previously identified trigger interneuron for swimming in the medicinal leech

et al. 2007

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Higher-order projection interneurons that function in more than one behavior have been identified in a number of preparations. In this study, we document that stimulation of cell Tr1, a previously identified trigger interneuron for swimming in the medicinal leech, can also elicit the motor program for crawling in isolated nerve cords. We also show that motor choice is independent of the firing frequency of Tr1 and amount of spiking activity recorded extracellularly at three locations along the ventral nerve cord prior to Tr1 stimulation. On the other hand, during Tr1 stimulation there is a significant difference in the amount of activity elicited in the ventral nerve cord that correlates with the motor program activated. On average, Tr1 stimulation trials that lead to crawling elicit greater amounts of activity than in trials that lead to swimming.

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Motor program initiation and selection in crickets, with special reference to swimming and flying behavior

Cited by 20 publications

References 24 publications

Ballistic movements of jumping legs implemented as variable components of cricket behaviour

Ballistic movements of jumping legs implemented as variable components of cricket behaviour

The terminal abdominal ganglion of the wood cricket Nemobius sylvestris

Activation of two forms of locomotion by a previously identified trigger interneuron for swimming in the medicinal leech

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