Interesting SfN posters

It is a bit late but this is about the SfN meeting. During cleaning up my desk near the end of year I rescued a bunch of notes I took during the meeting. Most of them were hard to read. Here are some.


497.06 Presentation Title: Endogenous neuropeptide facilitates INap pacemakers and acts on low respiratory frequency
*A. DOI, J. M. RAMIREZ

I often heard of Dr. Doi's work in Dr. Ramirez's talks. This was actually my first time visiting his poster. He explained to me in very clear logic in English and then we chatted in Japanese. He studied the role of endogenous substance P (SP) and toic activation of neurokinin1 (NK1) receptors in the generation of eupneic respiratory rhythm in pre-Bötzinger complex (pre-BötC) by blocking of NK1 receptors.
Both Cd²⁺-sensitive (CS) and Cd²⁺-insensitive (CI) pacemakers received endogenous SP release, but CI pacemaker activities were only tonically facilitated by activation of NK1 receptors. This seems to be due to the difference in voltage-sensitivity between CS pacemakers and CI pacemakers. The former mediated by non-selective cation channel (ICaN) whereas the latter by persistent Na⁺ channel (INaP).


585.09 Presentation Title: Electrical coupling in Aplysia bag cell neurons: Biophysical characterization and role in synchronous firing.
P. L. W. COLMERS, *N. S. MAGOSKI
The role of gap-junctions among the Aplysia bag cell neurons were examined. Meclofenamic acid is an electrical coupling blocker.


699.20 Presentation Title: Developmental reconfiguration of gaze control commands from spinal locomotor circuitry during Xenopus metamorphosis.
*D. COMBES, G. VON UCKERMANN, D. LE RAY, F. LAMBERT, H. STRAKA, J. SIMMERS
Dr. Denis Combes' poster is always one of my favorite in this meeting. This is a true NEUROBIOLOGY work. He studied the developmental changes in the neural control of eye movement in tadpole. During metamorphosis, Xenopus switches its mode of locomotion from tail-based undulatory movements to bilaterally-synchronous hindlimb kick propulsion, with intervening stages where these two modes co-exist.
There is a developmental transition in spinal efference copy control of extraocular motor output during Xenopus metamorphosis that corresponds to the change in locomotor strategy.


818.15 Evolution of a behavior mediated by the lateral line system adapts Astyanax to life in darkness.
*M. YOSHIZAWA, W. R. JEFFERY
This is also a very interesting work that grasped the moment of evolution of cavefish traits during the adaptation processes. Showing physiological and genetic basis of an adaptive behavior, vibration attraction behavior (VAB) inAstyanax mexicanus, which has an eyed surface (surface fish) and a blind cave (cavefish) dwelling forms.
Quantitative laboratory assays indicate that VAB is common in cavefish but rarely observed and much less robust in surface fish. VAB is beneficial for feeding in the dark. Increase in superficial neuromast (SN) during development is important forVAB.