Cuticular receptor activation of postural motoneurons in the abdomen of the hermit crab, Pagurus pollicarus

Displacement of the abdominal cuticle of the hermit crab, Pagurus pollicarus, activates motoneurons of the ventral superficial muscles that mediate posture and slow movements. Five excitatory motoneurons innervating the right ventral superficial muscle of the fourth abdominal segment were activated in a phasic stereotyped fashion in the isolated nervous system. Intracellular records from these motoneurons showed an initial monosynaptic burst, a period of inhibition in which inhibitory post-synaptic potentials were present and then a later period of increased spike frequency generated by excitatory post-synaptic potentials. The reflex response was maintained after severing all ganglionic roots from peripheral structures, isolating the nerve cord from peripheral feedback pathways. The two excitatory components of the response showed a dependence on strain that was much smaller than that found in sensory afferents. There was no relationship between the site of touch to the cuticle and the intensity or pattern of activation of the motoneurons. The reflex burst produced a transient activation of both longitudinal and transverse/circular layers of the muscle with forces that varied between 10% and 25% of the maximum muscle force. These results are consistent with a feedforward regulation of muscle stiffness.