1. In vitro preparation.
In vitro preparation. (A) In vitro preparation of the crayfish thoracic locomotor system consisted of thoracic ganglia 3–5 (T3, T4 and T5) with motor nerves and proximal muscles of the left fifth leg (promotor, remotor, levator and depressor), as well as one or several abdominal ganglia (A1, first abdominal ganglion). The coxo-basipodite chordotonal organ (CBCO), a proprioceptor that encodes the vertical movements of the leg, was also dissected out. A mechanical puller was used to apply sine wave movements to the CBCO in order to mimic the vertical movements of the leg by stretching and releasing the CBCO strand. The central nervous system was isolated from the CBCO by a Vaseline well to perfuse the ganglia only. Activities of motor and sensory nerves were recorded with stainless steel electrodes (black circles). (B) Single or multiple intracellular recordings from motoneurons were performed within the neuropile using glass microelectrodes (ME) placed in the main neurite.
Julien Bacqué-Cazenave et al. J Exp Biol 2013;216:
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