Linked Life Data

11913816

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/11913816

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
12
pubmed:dateCreated
2002-3-26
pubmed:abstractText
The shape of stimulus onset is a distinct feature of many acoustic communication signals. In some grasshopper species the steepness of amplitude rise of the pulses which comprise the song subunits is sexually dimorphic and a major criterion of sex recognition. Here, we describe potential mechanisms by which auditory interneurons could transmit the information on onset steepness from the metathoracic ganglion to the brain of the grasshopper. Since no single interneuron unequivocally encoded onset steepness, it appears that this information has to reside in the relative spike counts or the relative spike timing of a small group of ascending auditory interneurons. The decisive component of this mechanism seems to be the steepness-dependent leading inhibition displayed by two interneurons (AN3, AN4). The inhibition increased with increasing onset steepness, thus delayed the excitatory response, and in one interneuron even strongly reduced the spike count. Other ascending interneurons, whose responses were little affected by onset steepness, could serve as reference neurons (AN6, AN12). Thus, our results suggest that a comparison of both, spike count and first-spike timing within a small set of ascending interneurons could yield the information on signal onset steepness, that is on the sex of the sender.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Jan
pubmed:issn
0340-7594
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
187
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
977-85
pubmed:dateRevised
2006-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2002
pubmed:articleTitle
Coding of a sexually dimorphic song feature by auditory interneurons of grasshoppers: the role of leading inhibition.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Behavioral Physiology, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany. rkrahe@ucla.edu
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't