Functional organization of a neural map in the cricket cercal sensory system. 1996

G A Jacobs, and F E Theunissen
Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley 94720, USA.

Directionally selective mechanosensory afferents in the cricket cercal sensory system form a map of air current direction in the terminal abdominal ganglion. The global organization of this map was revealed by studying the anatomical relationships between an ensemble of sensory afferents that represented the entire range of receptor hair directional sensitivities on the sensory epithelium. The shapes and three-dimensional positions of the terminal arborizations of these cells were highly conserved across animals. Afferents with similar directional sensitivities arborized near each other within the map, and their terminal arborizations showed significant anatomical overlap. There was a clear global organization pattern of afferents within the map: they were organized into a spiral shape, with stimulus direction mapped continuously around the spiral. These results demonstrate that this map is not formed via a direct point-to-point topographic projection from the sensory epithelium to the CNS. Rather, the continuous representation of air current direction is synthesized within the CNS via an anatomical reorganization of the afferent terminal arbors. The arbors are reorganized according to a functional property that is independent of the location of the mechanoreceptor in the epithelium. The ensemble data were used to derive predictions of the patterns of steady-state excitation throughout the map for different directional stimuli. These images represent quantitative and testable predictions of functional characteristics of the entire neural map.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007091 Image Processing, Computer-Assisted A technique of inputting two-dimensional or three-dimensional images into a computer and then enhancing or analyzing the imagery into a form that is more useful to the human observer. Biomedical Image Processing,Computer-Assisted Image Processing,Digital Image Processing,Image Analysis, Computer-Assisted,Image Reconstruction,Medical Image Processing,Analysis, Computer-Assisted Image,Computer-Assisted Image Analysis,Computer Assisted Image Analysis,Computer Assisted Image Processing,Computer-Assisted Image Analyses,Image Analyses, Computer-Assisted,Image Analysis, Computer Assisted,Image Processing, Biomedical,Image Processing, Computer Assisted,Image Processing, Digital,Image Processing, Medical,Image Processings, Medical,Image Reconstructions,Medical Image Processings,Processing, Biomedical Image,Processing, Digital Image,Processing, Medical Image,Processings, Digital Image,Processings, Medical Image,Reconstruction, Image,Reconstructions, Image
D009474 Neurons The basic cellular units of nervous tissue. Each neuron consists of a body, an axon, and dendrites. Their purpose is to receive, conduct, and transmit impulses in the NERVOUS SYSTEM. Nerve Cells,Cell, Nerve,Cells, Nerve,Nerve Cell,Neuron
D006135 Gryllidae The family Gryllidae consists of the common house cricket, Acheta domesticus, which is used in neurological and physiological studies. Other genera include Gryllotalpa (mole cricket); Gryllus (field cricket); and Oecanthus (tree cricket). Crickets,Cricket
D000344 Afferent Pathways Nerve structures through which impulses are conducted from a peripheral part toward a nerve center. Afferent Pathway,Pathway, Afferent,Pathways, Afferent
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D017950 Ganglia, Sensory Clusters of neurons in the somatic peripheral nervous system which contain the cell bodies of sensory nerve axons. Sensory ganglia may also have intrinsic interneurons and non-neuronal supporting cells. Sensory Ganglia,Ganglion, Sensory,Sensory Ganglion
D017952 Ganglia, Invertebrate Clusters of neuronal cell bodies in invertebrates. Invertebrate ganglia may also contain neuronal processes and non-neuronal supporting cells. Many invertebrate ganglia are favorable subjects for research because they have small numbers of functional neuronal types which can be identified from one animal to another. Invertebrate Ganglia,Ganglion, Invertebrate,Ganglions, Invertebrate,Invertebrate Ganglion,Invertebrate Ganglions

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