The jewel wasp stings cockroaches and injects venom into their cerebral ganglia, namely the subesophageal ganglion (SOG) and supraesophageal ganglion (SupOG). The venom induces a long-term hypokinetic state, during which the stung cockroach shows little or no spontaneous walking. It was shown that venom injection to the SOG reduces neuronal activity, thereby suggesting a similar effect of venom injection in the SupOG. Paradoxically, SupOG-ablated cockroaches show increased spontaneous walking in comparison with control. Yet most of the venom in the SupOG of cockroaches is primarily concentrated in and around the central complex (CX). Thus the venom could chiefly decrease activity in the CX to contribute to the hypokinetic state. Our first aim was to resolve this discrepancy by using a combination of behavioral and neuropharmacological tools. Our results show that the CX is necessary for the initiation of spontaneous walking, and that focal injection of procaine to the CX is sufficient to induce the decrease in spontaneous walking. Furthermore, it was shown that artificial venom injection to the SOG decreases walking. Hence our second aim was to test the interactions between the SupOG and SOG in the venom-induced behavioral manipulation. We show that, in the absence of the inhibitory control of the SupOG on walking initiation, injection of venom in the SOG alone by the wasp is sufficient to induce the hypokinetic state. To summarize, we show that venom injection to either the SOG or the CX of the SupOG is, by itself, sufficient to decrease walking.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/jeb.116491 | DOI Listing |
Pediatr Res
January 2025
Department of Physiology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Background: To study how early gross motor development links to concurrent prelinguistic and social development.
Methods: We recruited a population-based longitudinal sample of 107 infants between 6 and 21 months of age. Gross motor performance was quantified using novel wearable technology for at-home recordings of infants' spontaneous activity.
Neurology
January 2025
The Dubowitz Neuromuscular Centre, Developmental Neurosciences Department, University College London, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, United Kingdom.
Background And Objectives: Safety and efficacy of IV onasemnogene abeparvovec has been demonstrated for patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) weighing <8.5 kg. SMART was the first clinical trial to evaluate onasemnogene abeparvovec for participants weighing 8.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEur J Neurol
January 2025
Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Institut de Myologie, AP-HP, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.
Background: Monoclonal gammopathy (MG) has been reported in association with numerous neurological disorders but the spectrum of MG-associated myopathies remains poorly described.
Objective: To report a newly acquired myopathy associated with MG.
Methods: Three adult patients with the same phenotype from two French referral centers were prospectively analyzed.
Sci Rep
January 2025
Biomedical Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
Humans sometimes synchronize their steps to mechanical oscillations in the environment (e.g., when walking on a swaying bridge or with a wearable robot).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFbioRxiv
December 2024
Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University of Medical Center, Washington DC, 20007, United States.
The degeneration of midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons disrupts the neural control of natural behavior, such as walking, posture, and gait in Parkinson's disease. While some aspects of motor symptoms can be managed by dopamine replacement therapies, others respond poorly. Recent advancements in machine learning-based technologies offer opportunities for unbiased segmentation and quantification of natural behavior in both healthy and diseased states.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!