QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

HOME  |   SEARCH  |   ARCHIVE  |   SUBSCRIBE  |   CONTACT  |   HELP

This Article Full Text (PDF) Submit an eLetter Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (39) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Mills, A. Articles by Zakon, H. H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Mills, A. Articles by Zakon, H. H.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Neuroscience, Vol 11, 2349-2361, Copyright © 1991 by Society for Neuroscience

ARTICLE

Chronic androgen treatment increases action potential duration in the electric organ of Sternopygus

A Mills and HH Zakon
Department of Zoology, University of Texas, Austin 78712.

The quasi-sinusoidal electric organ discharge (EOD) of the weakly electric fish Sternopygus is involved in communication and orientation. Each monophasic pulse of the low-intensity EOD is a compound action potential (AP) from the simultaneously firing electrocytes of the electric organ. EOD frequency is lower and EOD pulse duration longer in sexually mature males than in sexually mature females; exogenous androgen lowers EOD frequency and increases EOD pulse duration. In order to determine the contribution of single electrocyte spikes to the entire EOD pulse, APs were induced by intracellular current injection in single electrocytes of isolated pieces of electric organ. Each AP looks very similar to the externally recorded EOD pulses, and AP duration (APD) is significantly correlated with EOD pulse duration (r = 0.48; p less than 0.0005). The APD is slightly longer when compared to the EOD pulse duration, but this difference is likely due to the stimulation paradigm. Fish treated with dihydrotestosterone showed a decrease in EOD frequency, increase in EOD pulse duration, and corresponding increase in APD; control fish showed random, insignificant changes in EOD wave form and APD. Evidence presented here shows that changes in the passive membrane properties are unlikely to be responsible for the APD increase. The possibility is discussed that androgens act directly upon the electric organ, ultimately altering the ionic currents that produce the AP.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. R. Markham and P. K. Stoddard Adrenocorticotropic Hormone Enhances the Masculinity of an Electric Communication Signal by Modulating the Waveform and Timing of Action Potentials within Individual Cells J. Neurosci., September 21, 2005; 25(38): 8746 - 8754. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. A. Potter, T. Bose, and A. Yamaguchi Androgen-Induced Vocal Transformation in Adult Female African Clawed Frogs J Neurophysiol, July 1, 2005; 94(1): 415 - 428. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Bastian, S. Schniederjan, and J. Nguyenkim Arginine Vasotocin Modulates a Sexually Dimorphic Communication Behavior in the Weakly Electric fish APTERONOTUS LEPTORHYNCHUS J. Exp. Biol., January 6, 2001; 204(11): 1909 - 1923. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. L. McAnelly and H. H. Zakon Coregulation of Voltage-Dependent Kinetics of Na+ and K+ Currents in Electric Organ J. Neurosci., May 1, 2000; 20(9): 3408 - 3414. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Hopkins Design features for electric communication J. Exp. Biol., January 5, 1999; 202(10): 1217 - 1228. [Abstract] [PDF]

				H Zakon, L Mcanelly, G. Smith, K Dunlap, G Lopreato, J Oestreich, and W. Few Plasticity of the electric organ discharge: implications for the regulation of ionic currents J. Exp. Biol., January 5, 1999; 202(10): 1409 - 1416. [Abstract] [PDF]

				K. D. Dunlap, M. L. McAnelly, and H. H. Zakon Estrogen Modifies an Electrocommunication Signal by Altering the Electrocyte Sodium Current in an Electric Fish, Sternopygus J. Neurosci., April 15, 1997; 17(8): 2869 - 2875. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. McAnelly and H. H. Zakon Protein Kinase A Activation Increases Sodium Current Magnitude in the Electric Organ of Sternopygus J. Neurosci., July 15, 1996; 16(14): 4383 - 4388. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home  |   Search  |   Archive  |   Subscribe  |   Contact  |   Help