Properties of wave propagation in the oscillatory neural network in Limax marginatus

Abstract

The olfactory center (procerebral lobe; PC lobe) of the terrestrial slug, Limax marginatus, shows oscillatory behavior with a frequency of about 1 Hz and an activity wave that propagates from the apical to distal regions of the PC surface. To study the dynamic properties of this oscillatory network, serotonin, glutamate and acetylcholine were applied to the PC lobe. Serotonin and acetylcholine increased the frequency of PC oscillation and decreased the velocity of wave propagation. The effect of serotonin on the frequency was long-lasting and there was a delay before it caused a decrease in the wave propagation velocity. In contrast, the effect of acetylcholine on the frequency was phasic, and no delay was observed. Glutamate first decreased, then increased, the frequency. However, specific changes in the wave propagation velocity were not observed. From these experimental results, it is suggested that the oscillatory neural network of PC lobe has a potential to represent odor information as a series of spatially and temporally distributed ensembles of coherent firing neurons.