Abstract
Coordination of neuronal activity to produce movement is generally thought to depend on spike activity in premotor interneuronal networks. Here we show that even without such activity, the neonatal rat spinal cord could produce a stable motor rhythm mediated by the synchronization of motor neuron oscillations across gap junctions. These rhythms, however, were not coordinated between motor pools in different parts of the spinal cord. We further showed that neural coordination through gap junctions contributed to the fundamental organization and function of spinal motor systems. These results suggest that neural coordination across gap junctions is important in motor-pattern generation in the mammalian spinal cord.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate / pharmacology
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Action Potentials / drug effects
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Action Potentials / physiology*
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Animals
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Biological Clocks / drug effects
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Biological Clocks / physiology
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Calcium / metabolism
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Gap Junctions / drug effects
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Gap Junctions / physiology
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In Vitro Techniques
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Interneurons / cytology
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Interneurons / drug effects
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Interneurons / metabolism
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Motor Activity / physiology*
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Motor Neurons / cytology
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Motor Neurons / drug effects
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Motor Neurons / metabolism
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Motor Skills / physiology*
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N-Methylaspartate / pharmacology
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Nerve Net / physiology
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Periodicity
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Rats
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Serotonin / pharmacology
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Spinal Cord / cytology
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Spinal Cord / drug effects
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Spinal Cord / metabolism*
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Stimulation, Chemical
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Tetrodotoxin / pharmacology
Substances
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Serotonin
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Tetrodotoxin
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N-Methylaspartate
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2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate
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Calcium