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Journal of Experimental Biology, Vol 188, Issue 1 65-88, Copyright © 1994 by Company of Biologists

JOURNAL ARTICLES

THE POSITION-DEPENDENT NATURE OF POSTURAL RESISTANCE REFLEXES IN THE LOCUST

L Field and M Coles

The resistance reflexes of tibial extensor and flexor muscles, of all six legs in the locust, show changes in gain at different femur­tibia angles (FTA). In all muscles the gain is high for small angles (near full flexion) and low for large angles (near full extension, approximately 160 °). An exception occurs in the mesothoracic flexor muscle, which shows two modes: one as above and another in which maximum gain occurs at 100­120 ° FTA. The position-dependent character is evident at each stage of the reflex pathway: motor neurone, non-spiking interneurone and femoral chordotonal organ (the afferent source of the reflex). We conclude that position-dependency originates from a decrease in the number of phasic femoral chordotonal organ neurones sensitive to joint movement as larger FTAs are approached. Position-dependency is only roughly correlated with the postural FTAs most commonly observed in the meso- and metathoracic legs of unrestrained resting locusts; no such correlation was evident for prothoracic legs. We propose that the major role of position-dependency is to allow resistance reflexes efficiently to counter torque introduced onto the femur­tibia joint by perturbations in the horizontal plane when the insect rests on a horizontal substratum and in the vertical plane when it rests on a vertical substratum.


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© The Company of Biologists Ltd 1994