Central and peripheral neural mechanisms in coordination of the gastrointestinal motility

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25440173
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Animal physiology/Animal behavior
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan University
• Principal Investigator: Kurokawa Makoto 首都大学東京, 理工学研究科, 准教授 (50211222)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): TANAKA Kosuke 杏林大学, 保健学部, 教授 (50236585)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 消化管神経系 / 消化管運動 / 末梢神経系 / アメフラシ / モノアラガイ / タツナミガイ / トゲアメフラシ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Four gastropod species were used; Aplysia sp., Bursatella leachii, and Dolabella auricularia from Aplysiidae, and Lymnaea stagnalis from Pulmonata. Aplysia feeds on large seaweeds, and the others, on epilithic algae. Aplysia has a larger crop than the other species. In all these species, peripheral neurons in the enteric nervous system (ENS) exhibited autonomous synchronous periodic-burst activity. Simultaneous recording of the neuronal activities and movements of the gastrointestinal tract revealed that the periodic bursts first caused contractions of the gizzard in Aplysia. In the other species, the activity caused, at first, contractions of the crop. These observations show that the ENS contains pacemaker neurons responsible for the neurogenic rhythmicity of these movements. The pacemaker region was localized on the posterior gizzard in Aplysia and on the crop in the other species. The results may indicate how ENS functions in the GI tract evolved to suit specific diets.

Free Research Field

比較神経生物学