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A Non-cholinergic Synaptic Inhibition in the Central Nervous System of a Mollusc

Abstract

Tauc and Gerschenfeld1,2 have shown that in Aplysia depilans and Helix pomatia acetylcholine (ACh) possibly mediates synaptic excitation on neurones conventionally named D cells and also synaptic inhibition in other neurones called H cells. D neurones are recognized because they have only one type of input which is excitatory in character and cholinergic in nature. The analysis of synaptic activity in intracellular recording in the isolated nervous ganglia of the Argentine land-snail, Cryptom-phallus aspersa, reveals also the presence of typical H and D cells. Besides them the perio-œsophagic ring of this snail contains also other types of neurone that in addition to a cholinergic excitatory input as in D cells, show a direct inhibitory synaptic input. These cells will be conventionally named here DInhi (D cells with Inhibition) neurones.

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References

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GERSCHENFELD, H. A Non-cholinergic Synaptic Inhibition in the Central Nervous System of a Mollusc. Nature 203, 415–416 (1964). https://doi.org/10.1038/203415a0

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