Modulation of a respiratory motor program by peptide-secreting neurons inAplysia

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Abstract
Respiratory pumping of the gill and siphon of Aplysia californica is a fixed‐action pattern coordinated by a defined set of interneurons and motor neurons. In semi‐intact preparations of the gill and siphon innervated by the abdominal ganglion, respiratory pumping is facilitated for a prolonged period following activation of the peptidergic bag cell neurons. The induced changes in contractile behavior of the gill and siphon correlate with cell specific actions of the bag cells on motor neurons regulating these organs. Our results suggest that peptidergic neurons can alter the expression of a fixed pattern of behavior by modulating the excitability of motor neurons controlling the behavior.