A Transmesogloeal Conduction System in the Swimming Sea Anemone Stomphia

1980 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-52
Author(s):  
I.D. LAWN

1. A conduction system in Stomphia transfers information across the mesogloea from ectodermal receptors to endodermal effectors. 2. In the column, this transmesogloeal system has numerous and widespread connexions. 3. It is suggested that the connexions may be processes from multipolar nerve cells located in the endoderm. 4. Certain aspects of behaviour are controlled by this conduction system which provides yet another pathway to co-ordinate electrical activity.

1987 ◽  
Vol 133 (1) ◽  
pp. 157-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. D. McFARLANE ◽  
D. GRAFF ◽  
C. J.P. GRIMMELIKHUIJZEN

In the sea anemone Calliactis parasitica endodermal application of the anthozoan neuropeptide Antho-RFamide (<Glu-Gly-Arg-Phe-amide), at a concentration of 10−6 or 10−7moll−1, caused a long-lasting increase in tone, contraction frequency and contraction amplitude in several slow muscle groups but had no effect on contractions in fast muscles. The effects were investigated further in isolated muscle preparations. Ectodermal application to whole animals had no effect on muscle contractions. Both ectodermal and endodermal application, at 10−7moll−1, raised electrical activity in an ectodermal conduction system, the SSI, but had no effect on an endodermal conduction system, the SS2. Electrical activity in the SS2 was increased by application at 10−6moll−1 to the endoderm but not to the ectoderm. The peptide had no effect on the through-conducting nerve net. It is concluded that contractions evoked by Antho-RFamide may be partly due to neuronal activity, but probably also involve direct excitation of the muscles. The diverse excitatory actions of Antho-RFamide suggest that it may be a neurotransmitter or neuromodulator in sea anemones.


1976 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 419-429
Author(s):  
I. D. Lawn

1. Electrical activity has been recorded from Stomphia coccinea during the behavioural sequence in which the detached anemone settles on to a Modiolus shell. 2. When a responsive tentacle contacts the shell, a short, complex burst of pulses is elicited. These remain confined to the region of contact. The endodermal slow-conduction system (SS2) then begins to fire repetitively (a typical example is 16 SS2 pulses at a mean interpulse interval of 5 s) until the pedal disc begins to inflate. Shell-tentacle contact is essential for stimulation of SS2 activity. 3. The complete response, apart from local bending of the column, may be reproduced by electrical stimulation of the SS2 alone. As few as 10 stimuli at frequencies between 1 shock/s and 1 shock/10 s are required to elicit the response.


1984 ◽  
Vol 108 (1) ◽  
pp. 151-161
Author(s):  
M. C. HOLLEY ◽  
G.A. B. SHELTON

1. The ciliated pharynx of the sea anemone Calliactis parasitica (Couch) acts as an independent selective barrier for the admission of material to the coelenteron. 2. Direct observation shows that reversal of the direction of the mucus-flow is effected by a reversal of the direction of the ciliary power-stroke. 3. Reversal of the power-stroke can only be stimulated by food juices applied directly to the pharynx and it is not propagated to unstimulated areas. 4. Reversal of the power-stroke occurs in the absence of all recordable electrical activity. 5. This is one of the few examples among the Metazoa where it has been shown that a modification of the ciliary beating pattern is unlikely to be controlled by an electrical conduction system.


1969 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 377-385 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. D. MCFARLANE

1. Suction electrodes record electrical activity associated with three conduction systems in the sea anemone Calliactis parasitica. The two slow systems (SS1 and SS2) are previously undescribed. The third system is the through-conduction system. 2. Evidence is given that the SS1 and SS2 are located in the ectoderm and endoderm respectively. The conductile elements have not been identified. 3. The conduction velocity of the SS1 is 4.4-14.6 cm./sec. at 11° C. and is highest in the oral disk. The SS2 velocity is 3.0-5.3 cm./sec. 4. Both slow systems show a marked increase in response delay on repetitive stimulation and fail at stimulation frequencies higher than one shock/3 sec.


1970 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 211-220
Author(s):  
I. D. McFARLANE

1. Dissolved food substances elicit preparatory feeding behaviour in the sea anemone Tealia felina. This behaviour takes the form of expansion of the oral disk and lowering of the margin of the disk. Food may also cause mouth opening and pharynx protrusion. This pre-feeding response may increase the chance of food capture. 2. The expansion and lowering of the oral disk can also be elicited by electrical stimulation of a slow conduction system, the SS1, thought to be located in the ectoderm. 3. SS1 activity is seen when the anemone is exposed to dissolved food substances. 4. It is concluded that preparatory feeding behaviour in Tealia is mediated in part by the SS1.


1971 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 611-640
Author(s):  
ELAINE A. ROBSON

1. In Gonactinia well-developed ectodermal muscle and nerve-net extend over the column and crown and play an important part in the anemone's behaviour. 2. Common sequences of behaviour are described. Feeding is a series of reflex contractions of different muscles by means of which plankton is caught and swallowed. Walking, in the form of brief looping steps, differs markedly in that it continues after interruptions. Anemones also swim with rapid tentacle strokes after contact with certain nudibranch molluscs, strong mechanical disturbance or electrical stimulation. 3. Swimming is attributed to temporary excitation of a diffuse ectodermal pacemaker possibly situated in the upper column. 4. From the results of electrical and mechanical stimulation it is concluded that the endodermal neuromuscular system resembles that of other anemones but that the properties of the ectodermal neuromuscular system require a new explanation. The size and spread of responses to electric shocks vary with intensity, latency is variable and there is a tendency to after-discharge. There is precise radial localization, for example touching a tentacle or the column causes it to bend towards or away from the stimulus. 5. A model to explain these and other features includes multipolar nerve cells closely linked to the nerve-net which would act as intermediate motor units, causing local contraction of the ectodermal muscle. This scheme can be applied to other swimming anemones but there is no evidence that it holds for sea anemones generally.


1969 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 387-396
Author(s):  
I. D. MCFARLANE

1. Electrical activity has been recorded from the sphincter region of Calliactis parasitica during the behavioural sequence in which the anemone detaches from the substrate and attaches to a Buccinum shell. The ectodermal slow-conduction system (SS1) fires repetitively, the majority of observed pulses occurring in the period prior to detachment (a typical example is 25 SS1pulses at an average frequency of 1 pulse/7 sec.). Shell-tentacle contact is essential for stimulation of SS1activity. 2. Mechanical stimulation of the column excites the SS1, and 30 stimuli at a frequency of about one shock/5 sec. give pedal disk detachment. 3. Electrical stimulation of the ectoderm excites the SS1and about 30 stimuli at frequencies between one shock/3 sec. and one shock/9 sec. produce detachment. Detachment and the SS1 have an identical stimulus threshold. It is concluded that detachment is co-ordinated by the SS1.


Nature ◽  
1976 ◽  
Vol 262 (5570) ◽  
pp. 708-709 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. D. LAWN

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Choquet ◽  
Robert G. Kelly ◽  
Lucile Miquerol

Abstract The ventricular conduction system coordinates heartbeats by rapid propagation of electrical activity through the Purkinje fiber (PF) network. PFs share common progenitors with contractile cardiomyocytes, yet the mechanisms of segregation and network morphogenesis are poorly understood. Here, we apply genetic fate mapping and temporal clonal analysis to identify murine cardiomyocytes committed to the PF lineage as early as E7.5. We find that a polyclonal PF network emerges by progressive recruitment of conductive precursors to this scaffold from a pool of bipotent progenitors. At late fetal stages, the segregation of conductive cells increases during a phase of rapid recruitment to build the definitive PF network through a non-cell autonomous mechanism. We also show that PF differentiation is impaired in Nkx2-5 haploinsufficient embryos leading to failure to extend the scaffold. In particular, late fetal recruitment fails, resulting in PF hypoplasia and persistence of bipotent progenitors. Our results identify how transcription factor dosage regulates cell fate divergence during distinct phases of PF network morphogenesis.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document