From Electrogenesis to Electroreception: An Overview

Zupanc, Günther K.H.; Bullock, Theodore H.

doi:10.1007/0-387-28275-0_2

Cited by 40 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 80 publications

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“…Mormyrids and gymnotiforms have similar electrosensory behaviors, most famously the jamming avoidance response (Heiligenberg, 1986). The two groups also have similar electromotor discharge patterns: both groups have independently evolved short 'pulse-type' EODs with long intervals in between and essentially continuous, quasi-sinusoidal 'wave-type' discharges (Zupanc and Bullock, 2005). Unlike many other electric fish, the electrocytes that comprise the EOs of both mormyrids and gymnotiforms produce spikes on both cell faces, and have complex anatomical features such as protrusions from the innervated membrane, termed 'stalks' (Bennett, 1971;Bass, 1986).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differential expression of genes and proteins between electric organ and skeletal muscle in the mormyrid electric fishBrienomyrus brachyistius

Gallant

Hopkins

Deitcher

2012

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARYElectric organs (EOs) have evolved independently in vertebrates six times from skeletal muscle (SM). The transcriptional changes accompanying this developmental transformation are not presently well understood. Mormyrids and gymnotiforms are two highly convergent groups of weakly electric fish that have independently evolved EOs: while much is known about development and gene expression in gymnotiforms, very little is known about development and gene expression in mormyrids. This lack of data limits prospects for comparative work. We report here on the characterization of 28 differentially expressed genes between SM and EO tissues in the mormyrid Brienomyrus brachyistius, which were identified using suppressive subtractive hybridization (SSH). Forward and reverse SSH was performed on tissue samples of EO and SM resulting in one cDNA library enriched with mRNAs expressed in EO, and a second library representing mRNAs unique to SM. Nineteen expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were identified in EO and nine were identified in SM using BLAST searching of Danio rerio sequences available in NCBI databases. We confirmed differential expression of all 28 ESTs using RT-PCR. In EO, these ESTs represent four classes of proteins: (1) ion pumps, including the -and -subunits of Na Supplementary material available online at

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differential expression of genes and proteins between electric organ and skeletal muscle in the mormyrid electric fishBrienomyrus brachyistius

Gallant

Hopkins

Deitcher

2012

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…Using an array of electroreceptors on their skin, these fish can sense perturbations of their self-generated electric fields caused by objects in their environment (for reviews see Zupanc and Bullock, 2005;Moller, 1995). This electrosense is used for navigation and foraging purposes (electrolocation) as well as for intraspecific and interspecific communication (electrocommunication).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Gymnotiform species can be divided in two major groups based on an especially salient difference in the electric field they produce. 'Pulse-type' fish generate electrical pulses separated by relatively long, often irregular silent pauses, whereas 'wave-type' fish produce continuous, quasi-sinusoidal signals (reviewed in Zupanc and Bullock, 2005). Among wave-type fish, electric organ discharges (EODs) vary in both frequency and waveform (Crampton and Albert, 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Electric signals and species recognition in the wave-type gymnotiform fishApteronotus leptorhynchus

Fugère

Krahe

2010

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARYGymnotiformes are South American weakly electric fish that produce weak electric organ discharges (EOD) for orientation, foraging and communication purposes. It has been shown that EOD properties vary widely across species and could thus be used as species recognition signals. We measured and quantified the electric signals of various species using a landmark-based approach. Using discriminant function analysis to verify whether these signals are species specific based on different signal parameters, we found that the EOD waveform is a more specific cue than EOD frequency, which shows large overlap across species. Using Apteronotus leptorhynchus as a focal species, we then performed a series of playback experiments using stimuli of different species (varying in frequency, waveform, or both). In an experiment with restrained fish, we found, in contrast to what we predicted, that the choice of stimulus waveform did not affect the production of communication signals. In an experiment with free-swimming fish, the animals spent more time near the playback electrodes and produced more communication signals when the stimuli were within their conspecific frequency range. Waveform again had no measurable effect. The production of communication signals correlated with the frequency difference between the stimulus and the fish's own EOD, but approach behavior did not.

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“…The electrosense was passed down to major taxa of living aquatic vertebrates [3] . It has been lost in most modern teleost fish, but still exists in some and can be categorized into active or passive electrosense [4] .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Response properties of the electrosensory neurons in hindbrain of the white sturgeon, Acipenser transmontanus

et al. 2011

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ObjectiveThe passive electrosense is a primitive sensory modality in the Chondrostei, which include sturgeon and paddlefish. Using electroreceptors, these fish detect the weak electric fields from other animals or geoelectric sources, and use this information for prey detection or other behaviors. The primary afferent fibers innervating the electroreceptors project to a single hindbrain target called the dorsal octavolateral nucleus (DON), where the electrosensory information is first processed. Here, we investigated the electrophysiological properties of DON neurons. Methods Extracellular recording was used to investigate the response properties of DON neurons to dipole electric fields with different amplitudes and frequencies in the white sturgeon, Acipenser transmontanus. Results The DON neurons showed regular spontaneous activity and could be classified into two types: neurons with a low spontaneous rate (<10 Hz) and those with a high spontaneous rate (>10 Hz). In response to sinusoidal electric field stimuli, DON neurons showed sinusoidally-modulated and phase-locked firing. In addition, neurons showed opposite phase responses corresponding to the different directions of the dipole. Conclusion The response properties of DON neurons match the electrosensory biological function in sturgeon, as they match the characteristics of the electric fields of its prey.

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From Electrogenesis to Electroreception: An Overview

Cited by 40 publications

References 80 publications

Differential expression of genes and proteins between electric organ and skeletal muscle in the mormyrid electric fishBrienomyrus brachyistius

Differential expression of genes and proteins between electric organ and skeletal muscle in the mormyrid electric fishBrienomyrus brachyistius

Electric signals and species recognition in the wave-type gymnotiform fishApteronotus leptorhynchus

Response properties of the electrosensory neurons in hindbrain of the white sturgeon, Acipenser transmontanus

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