Origin of the first neurons as sensory-motor and sensory-neurosecretory cells
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1
Max Planck Society, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Germany
Animal nervous systems evolved in a marine environment at the dawn of animal life and diversified during the 'Cambrian explosion', one of the most spectacular events in the history of life. Little is known about early stages of the evolution of neuronal circuits and nervous systems. Simple marine planktonic organisms, in particular ciliated larvae of various marine invertebrates, can give us insights into how simple nervous circuits of marine organisms function and may have evolved. We investigate the nervous system of the marine annelid model, Platynereis dumerilii. In the ciliated, planktonic larvae of Platynereis we have found several multifunctional sensory-motor neurons. These simple neurons are involved in the regulation of larval swimming depth and larval phototaxis. Sensory information is thus translated into motor output on locomotor cilia via a very simple neural circuitry. Other neurons are sensory-neurosecretory, providing a direct link between environmental stimuli and neuroendocrine regulation. We propose that the simple circuitry found in these ciliated larvae represents an ancestral state in nervous system evolution.
Keywords:
ciliary swimming,
Neuropeptide,
Platynereis dumerilii,
sensory-motor neuron,
Zooplankton
Conference:
Tenth International Congress of Neuroethology, College Park. Maryland USA, United States, 5 Aug - 10 Aug, 2012.
Presentation Type:
Invited Symposium (only for people who have been invited to a particular symposium)
Topic:
Sensorimotor Integration
Citation:
Jékely
G
(2012). Origin of the first neurons as sensory-motor and sensory-neurosecretory cells.
Conference Abstract:
Tenth International Congress of Neuroethology.
doi: 10.3389/conf.fnbeh.2012.27.00016
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Received:
05 Apr 2012;
Published Online:
07 Jul 2012.
*
Correspondence:
Dr. Gáspár Jékely, Max Planck Society, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany, g.jekely@exeter.ac.uk