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The Journal of Experimental Biology 205, 2825-2832 (2002)
© 2002 The Company of Biologists Limited

The locust frontal ganglion: a central pattern generator network controlling foregut rhythmic motor patterns

Amir Ayali^*, Yael Zilberstein and Netta Cohen

Department of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel

^* Author for correspondence (e-mail: ayali{at}post.tau.ac.il)

Accepted 14 June 2002

The frontal ganglion (FG) is part of the insect stomatogastric nervous system and is found in most insect orders. Previous work has shown that in the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria, the FG constitutes a major source of innervation to the foregut. In an in vitro preparation, isolated from all descending and sensory inputs, the FG spontaneously generated rhythmic multi-unit bursts of action potentials that could be recorded from all its efferent nerves. The consistent endogenous FG rhythmic pattern indicates the presence of a central pattern generator network. We found the appearance of in vitro rhythmic activity to be strongly correlated with the physiological state of the donor locust. A robust pattern emerged only after a period of saline superfusion, if the locust had a very full foregut and crop, or if the animal was close to ecdysis. Accordingly, haemolymph collected at these stages inhibited an ongoing rhythmic pattern when applied onto the ganglion. We present this novel central pattern generating system as a basis for future work on the neural network characterisation and its role in generating and controlling behaviour.

Key words: desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria, central pattern generator, frontal ganglion, neuromodulation

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