Producing directed behaviour: Muscle activity patterns of the cockroach escape response

Rafael Levi, Jeffrey M. Camhi*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

The cockroach responds to wind from the front left by making an escape turn to the right, and vice versa. So far, no interneurones in the escape system are known that respond only to wind from the left or only to wind from the right. In this study, we used electromyographic recordings to determine whether motor neurones respond in this direction-selective manner during escape behaviour. In the mesothoracic coxal-femoral joint, whose movement direction is diagnostic for escape direction, the fast motor neurones of one muscle respond selectively to one wind direction, and those of the antagonistic muscle respond selectively to wind from the other direction, resulting in an appropriate turning response. This rules out an alternative hypothesis, a co-activation mechanism of specifying turn direction. These results suggest that it would be fruitful to search among the interneurones of the escape system for additional cells and circuit properties that could give rise to this sharp directional discrimination.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)563-568
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of Experimental Biology
Volume199
Issue number3
StatePublished - Mar 1996

Keywords

  • Cockroach
  • Directional behaviour
  • Escape behaviour
  • Giant interneurones
  • Periplaneta americana

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