Both electrical and chemical transmission between the ?lobula giant movement detector? and the ?descending contralateral movement detector? neurons of locusts are supported by electron microscopy

Abstract

Conventional electron microscopy combined with cobalt staining techniques has revealed chemical synapses and gap junction-like areas denoting specific regions of contact between two large, uniquely identifiable visual interneurons in the brain of the locust Schistocerca gregaria. The morphological demonstration of chemical synapses suggests that one of the two neurons, the 'descending contralateral movement detector', receives a chemically mediated input from its main presynaptic element, the 'lobula giant movement detector'. This observation supports recent electrophysiological studies demonstrating synaptic delays between the two cells, characteristic of chemical synapses. However, regions with the appearance of gap junctions are also observed. This corroborates earlier work which suggested that these two neurons are coupled electrically.