The Journal of Neuroscience, May 15, 2002, 22(10):4185-4195
Extracellular Peptidase Activity Tunes Motor Pattern Modulation
Debra E.
Wood and
Michael P.
Nusbaum
Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania School of
Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6074
We are examining how extracellular peptidase activity sculpts the
peptidergic actions of modulatory projection neurons on rhythmically
active neuronal circuits, using the pyloric circuit in the
stomatogastric ganglion (STG) of the crab Cancer
borealis. Neurally released peptides can diffuse long distances
to bind to their receptors. Hence, different neurons releasing the same neuropeptide into the same neuropil may reach the same receptor complement. However, extracellular peptidases can limit neuropeptide diffusion and terminate its actions.
Distinct versions of the pyloric rhythm are elicited by selective
activation of different projection neurons, including those with
overlapping sets of cotransmitters. Two of these projection neurons,
modulatory commissural neuron 1 (MCN1) and the modulatory proctolin
neuron (MPN), contain the neuropeptide proctolin plus GABA. MCN1 also
contains Cancer borealis tachykinin-related peptide Ia
(CabTRP Ia). CabTRP Ia is not fully responsible for the distinct actions of MCN1 and MPN. Because there is aminopeptidase activity in
the STG that terminates proctolin actions, we tested the hypothesis that the differences in the actions of MCN1 and MPN that are not mediated by CabTRP Ia result from the differential actions of aminopeptidase activity on proctolin released from these two projection neurons. We found that the pyloric circuit response to these two projection neurons becomes more similar when this aminopeptidase activity is blocked. This result supports the hypothesis that extracellular peptidase activity enables different projection neurons
to use the same neuropeptide transmitter for eliciting distinct outputs
from the same neuronal circuit.
Key words:
aminopeptidase; peptidase inhibitor; cotransmission; neuropeptides; tachykinin; proctolin; stomatogastric nervous system; crustacea; neuromodulation; motor pattern generation
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