Neuromuscular and Central Control Elements in Animal Escape Response

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9631511 Gilly Research on the giant axon system of the squid during the past 50 years has provided the foundation for our understanding of communication within and between neurons - nerve impulse conduction and synaptic transmission. The basic mechanisms governing these processes are shared by all organisms with nervous systems, from jellyfish to humans. Much remains to be learned about the dynamic interactions that occur between individual nerve and muscle cells and how these interactions change during the acquisition of new behaviors. Background work indicates that giant and non- giant motor systems in squid can act independently to achieve a large range of jet velocities or, in close concert, to achieve super-charged jetting. Experiments funded by this grant are designed to examine the interactions between these two motor systems during escape behavior and to describe changes in these interactions that occur shortly after hatching. Preliminary work has shown that these developmental changes are strongly linked to the experience-dependent acquisition of prey capture behavior. It is expected that this work will provide new insights into how activity of specific motor nerve cells is coordinated by the brain to produce complex behavioral outputs and how development of this motor coordination is influenced by experiences early in life.