The buccal ganglia of Aplysia contain a central pattern generator (CPG) that mediates rhythmic movements of the foregut during feeding. This CPG is a multifunctional circuit and generates at least two types of buccal motor patterns (BMPs), one that mediates ingestion (iBMP) and another that mediates rejection (rBMP). The present study used a computational approach to examine the ways in which an ensemble of identified cells and synaptic connections function as a CPG. Hodgkin-Huxley-type models were developed that mimicked the biophysical properties of these cells and synaptic connections. The results suggest that the currently identified ensemble of cells is inadequate to produce rhythmic neural activity and that several key elements of the CPG remain to be identified.
Model Type: Realistic Network
Region(s) or Organism(s): Aplysia
Cell Type(s): Aplysia feeding CPG neurons
Currents: I Chloride; I Na,p; I K; I Sodium; I Potassium
Model Concept(s): Temporal Pattern Generation; Oscillations; Invertebrate
Simulation Environment: SNNAP
References:
Baxter DA, Byrne JH, Cataldo E. (2006). Computational Model of a Central Pattern Generator CMSB 2006, Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics LNBI 4210.