Descending and Ascending Signals That Maintain Rhythmic Walking Pattern in Crickets

The cricket is one of the model animals used to investigate neuronal mechanisms underlying adaptive locomotion. An intact walks mostly with a tripod gait, similar other insects. motor control center leg movements located in thoracic ganglia. In this study, we investigated walking gait patterns crickets whose ventral nerve cords were surgically cut gain an understanding how descending signals from head ganglia and ascending abdominal nervous system into mediate initiation coordination pattern. Crickets paired connectives between brain subesophageal ganglion (SEG) (circumesophageal connectives) exhibited However, when side circumesophageal was cut, continued turn opposite direction connective cut. SEG prothoracic did not walk, whereas ordinal pattern intact. metathoracic initiated walking, although coordinated pattern, These results suggest that plays inhibitory role initiating both are important coordinating insect patterns.