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TNRNFLRFamide and SDRNFLRFamide modulate muscles of the stomatogastric system of the crab Cancer borealis

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Abstract

The effects of the extended FLRFamide-like peptides, TNRNFLRFamide and SDRNFLRFamide, were studied on the stomach musculature of the crab Cancer borealis. Peptide-induced modulation of nerve-evoked contractions was used to screen muscles. All but 2 of the 17 muscles tested were modulated by the peptides. In several muscles of the pyloric region, peptides induced long-lasting myogenic activity. In other muscles, the peptides increased the amplitude of nerve-evoked contractions, excitatory junctional potentials, and excitatory junctional currents, but produced no apparent change in the input resistance of the muscle fibers. The threshold concentration was 10−10 M for TNRNFLRFamide and between 10−9 M to 10−8 M for SDRNFLRFamide. The absence of direct peptidecontaining innervation to these muscles and the wide-spread sensitivity of these muscles to the peptides suggest that TNRNFLRFamide and SDRNFLRFamide may be released from neurosecretory structures to modulate stomatogastric musculature hormonally. We speculate that hormonally released peptide will be crucial for maintaining appreciable muscle contraction in response to low-frequency and low-intensity motor discharge.

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Abbreviations

cpv muscles :

cardiopyloric valve muscles

CG :

commissural ganglion

DG neuron :

dorsal gastric neuron

dgn :

dorsal gastric nerve

dvn :

dorsal ventricular nerve

EJC :

excitatory junctional current

EJP :

excitatory junctional potential

FaRPs :

FMRF-amide related peptides

gm muscles :

gastric mill muscles

lvn :

lateral ventricular nerve

mvn :

medial ventricular nerve

p muscles :

pyloric muscles

STG :

stomatogastric ganglion

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  1. Volen Center and Biology Department, Brandeis University, 02254, Waltham, MA, USA

    J. C. Jorge-Rivera & E. Marder

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  1. J. C. Jorge-Rivera
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  2. E. Marder
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Jorge-Rivera, J.C., Marder, E. TNRNFLRFamide and SDRNFLRFamide modulate muscles of the stomatogastric system of the crab Cancer borealis . J Comp Physiol A 179, 741–751 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00207353

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