We thank Jos Burgert for helping with some of the figures. We are grateful to Ingo Selbach (and the group &#8220;Edelkrebsprojekt NRW&#8221;) for his efforts to supply the lab with experimental animals. We thank Anna C. Schneider for proofreading first versions of the manuscript. This research was supported by an Emmy Noether DFG grant SM 206/3-1 and a startup grant of the University of Cologne for female faculty.

This dissection procedure is in accordance with the European Communities Council Directive of 22nd September 2010 (2010/63/EU).
1. Preparation
<ol>
	<li>Obtain crayfish, Pacifastacus leniusculus (Dana), of both sexes &#8805;8 cm in size. Ensure that the animals are vital and the abdomen and abdominal limbs are intact.</li>
	<li>Take care to inspect the carapace and that this cuticle is hard and rigid. Pre- and postmolt animals have a soft carapace and are not suited for e...

<ol>
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G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+Co-Ordination+of+Swimmeret+Movements+in+the+Crayfish,+Procambarus-Clarkii+(Girard).">The Co-Ordination of Swimmeret Movements in the Crayfish, Procambarus-Clarkii (Girard).</a> J Exp Biol. 37 (4), 657-670 (1960).</li><li>Mulloney, B., Smarandache, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Fifty+Years+of+CPGs:+Two+Neuroethological+Papers+that+Shaped+the+Course+of+Neuroscience.">Fifty Years of CPGs: Two Neuroethological Papers that Shaped the Course of Neuroscience.</a> Front Behav Neurosci. 4, 45 (2010).</li><li>Murchison, D., Chrachri, A., Mulloney, B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+Separate+Local+Pattern-Generating+Circuit+Controls+the+Movements+of+Each+Swimmeret+in+Crayfish.">A Separate Local Pattern-Generating Circuit Controls the Movements of Each Swimmeret in Crayfish.</a> J Neurophys. 70 (6), 2620-2631 (1993).</li><li>Mulloney, B., Hall, W. 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Synaptic Neuropils.</a> J Comp Neurol. 234 (2), 182-191 (1985).</li><li>Skinner, K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+Structure+of+the+4th+Abdominal-Ganglion+of+the+Crayfish,+Procambarus-Clarki+(Girard)+I.+Tracts+in+the+Ganglionic+Core.">The Structure of the 4th Abdominal-Ganglion of the Crayfish, Procambarus-Clarki (Girard) I. Tracts in the Ganglionic Core.</a> J Comp Neurol. 234 (2), 168-181 (1985).</li><li>Mulloney, B., Tschuluun, N., Hall, W. 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J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Motoneuron+Morphology+and+Synaptic+Contacts+-+Determination+by+Intracellular+Dye+Injection.">Motoneuron Morphology and Synaptic Contacts - Determination by Intracellular Dye Injection.</a> Science. 168 (3937), 1358-1360 (1970).</li><li>Altman, J. S., Tyrer, N. M., Strausfeld, N. J., Miller, T. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Filling+Selected+Neurons+with+Cobalt+through+Cut+Axons.">Filling Selected Neurons with Cobalt through Cut Axons.</a> Neuroanatomical Techniques. , 373-402 (1980).</li></ol>

The authors declare that they have no competing financial interests.

The anatomy of crayfish and their abdominal ganglia has been described previously 5, 18, 19, 20 and it is recommended to become familiar with them prior to the dissection in order to avoid cutting of important nerves.
It is critical to keep the preparation at temperatures below 23 &#176;C to prevent degradation of the isolated nerve cord. This can be achieved easily by replacement of the bathing solution every 20&#8211;30 min with cold crayfish saline. Under these circumstances the ...

The swimmerets of crayfish serve a function in posture control and beat rhythmically when the animals swim forward, ventilate their burrows or females aerate their eggs 5, 6. The swimmerets of the signal crayfish, Pacifastacus leniusculus, occur in pairs from the second to the fifth abdominal segment, with one limb on each side of the abdomen 7. The central nervous system produces on its own the rhythmic motor patter which drives the swimmeret movement in the intact animal as well as in the isolated nerve cord preparation. When there is no sensory feedback or descending input present the rhythmic motor pattern produced is called fictive locomotion 1, 2. In the swimmeret system this motor pattern does not differ in any parameter from the activity of the swimmerets measured in the intact animal.
The movement of each swimmeret is driven by a microcircuit that is located in and restricted to one corresponding hemiganglion 1 - 3. In each microcircuit there is a pattern generating kernel that comprises five identified non spiking interneurons. They can be functionally characterized as being either Inhibitor of Power Stroke (IPS) or Inhibitor of Return Stroke (IRS) 8. These IPS and IRS interneurons are not endogenous oscillators, rather their alternating activity is driven by reciprocal inhibition 9. Because these interneurons inhibit the swimmeret motor neurons directly, the alternating PS-RS movement is generated 10. Locomotion however, does not only require the generation of activity, but also coordination of the different independent microcircuits. In the swimmeret system such coordination is established by the coordinating microcircuit which ensures that limbs are active at correct times. This microcircuit is built by three identified neurons in each segment 11-15.
This protocol provides for the first time a step-by-step dissection guide to isolate the chain of ganglia (T4 to A6, Figure 1). We show how to pin the isolated abdominal nerve cord and desheathe each ganglion. In this isolated nervous system preparation, the neurons responsible for swimmeret movement are ready for use in electrophysiological and morphological experiments. The second part of this protocol demonstrates the main features of the swimmeret motor pattern. This includes a step-by-step guide to extracellularly record the activity of swimmeret motor neurons. Axons of RS motor neurons project through the anterior branch of nerve N1, while axons of PS motor neurons project through the posterior branch of the same nerve (Figure 1) 4. Therefore their activity can be recorded from these branches with differential pin electrodes.
<img alt="Figure 1" fo:content-width="2in" src="/files/ftp_upload/52109/52109fig1highres.jpg" width="200" /> 
Figure 1: Isolated nervous system from thoracic ganglion 4 (T4) to abdominal ganglion 6 (A6) and a schematic diagram of it. T4: thoracic ganglion 4; T5: thoracic ganglion 5; A1, A2 &#8230; A6 abdominal ganglion 1, abdominal ganglion 2 &#8230; abdominal ganglion 6; N1: nerve N1; N2: nerve N2; N3: nerve N3; PS: power-stroke; RS: return-stroke. Directional abbreviations: A = anterior; P = posterior.
This dissection procedure and the electrophysiological technique demonstrated are convenient for undergraduate students and may complement student practical courses in physiology. The isolated chain of ganglia has been used in a number of experiments to study nervous system function, coordination, or modulation of swimmeret microcircuits 6 as well as neuronal control of adaptive behavior in locomotion 16, 17. The crayfish swimmeret system thus provides an enormous amount of interesting teaching or training opportunities which all begin with the dissection of the ventral nerve cord of crayfish and extracellular recording of the fictive motor pattern.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="606">
	<tbody>
		<tr height="38">
			<td height="38" style="height:38px;width:131px;">Name of Material/ Equipment</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">Type</td>
			<td style="width:139px;">Company</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">Catalog Number</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">Comments/&#160;&#160; Description</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="60">
			<td height="60" style="height:60px;width:131px;">4-channel extracellular amplifier: MA 102&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">Amplifier</td>
			<td style="width:139px;">Elektroniklabor, Zoologie, Universit&#228;t zu K&#246;ln, Germany</td>
			<td style="width:103px;"></td>
			<td style="width:103px;">for extracellular recording</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="160">
			<td height="160" style="height:160px;width:131px;">air-table</td>
			<td style="width:131px;"></td>
			<td style="width:139px;">Technical Manufacturing Corporation 
			(TMC) a unit of AMETEK Ultra Precision Technologies, Peabody, MA, USA</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">63-534</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">for intracellular recording</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="80">
			<td height="80" style="height:80px;width:131px;">Axon Digidata 1440A</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">Digitizer</td>
			<td style="width:139px;">Axon Instruments, Molecular Devices Design, Union City, CA</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">DD1440A</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">digitizes recorded signals&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;width:131px;">big bucket&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:131px;"></td>
			<td style="width:139px;"></td>
			<td style="width:103px;"></td>
			<td style="width:103px;">filled with ice</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="60">
			<td height="60" style="height:60px;width:131px;">Clampex &#38; Clampfit</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">pClamp 10, recording and analysis software</td>
			<td style="width:139px;">Molecular Devices Design, Union City, CA</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">pClamps 10 Standard</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">for extracellular recording</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="60">
			<td height="60" style="height:60px;width:131px;">cold lamp source</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">with flexible light guide (fiber optic bundle)&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:139px;">Euromex microscopes holland, Arnhem, BD</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">LE.5211 &#38; LE.5235</td>
			<td style="width:103px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:131px;">computer and monitor</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">equipped with recording software</td>
			<td style="width:139px;"></td>
			<td style="width:103px;"></td>
			<td style="width:103px;">for extracellular recording</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:131px;">container and pipette for liquid waste&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:131px;"></td>
			<td style="width:139px;"></td>
			<td style="width:103px;"></td>
			<td style="width:103px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="160">
			<td height="160" style="height:160px;width:131px;">crayfish saline&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">contains (in mM): 5.4 KCl, 2.6 MgCl2, 13.5 CaCl2, and 195 NaCl, buffered with 10mM Tris base and 4.7mM maleic acid; aerated for 3 hours. Adjust at pH of 7.4.&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:139px;"></td>
			<td style="width:103px;"></td>
			<td style="width:103px;">always keep at temperatures ~ 4&#176; C</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="60">
			<td height="60" style="height:60px;width:131px;">dextran, Texas Red (3000MW, lysine fixable)</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">fluorescent dye, lysine fixable</td>
			<td style="width:139px;">Life Technologies GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">D3328</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">for intracellular dyefill of neurons</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:131px;">differential pin electrodes</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">made from stainless steel &#632; 0.2 mm</td>
			<td style="width:139px;"></td>
			<td style="width:103px;"></td>
			<td style="width:103px;">for extracellular recording</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="60">
			<td height="60" style="height:60px;width:131px;">dissection dish&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">(l x w x h) 15x7x5 cm; linned with black silicone</td>
			<td style="width:139px;"></td>
			<td style="width:103px;"></td>
			<td style="width:103px;">used in the gross disection</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:131px;">faraday cage</td>
			<td style="width:131px;"></td>
			<td style="width:139px;"></td>
			<td style="width:103px;"></td>
			<td style="width:103px;">for extracellular recording</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:131px;">fixing pins</td>
			<td style="width:131px;"></td>
			<td style="width:139px;"></td>
			<td style="width:103px;"></td>
			<td style="width:103px;">for pinning the specimen</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="60">
			<td height="60" style="height:60px;width:131px;">forceps (biology, Dumont #5)</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">Forceps: Biology, tip 0.05 x 0.02 mm, length 11cm, INOX</td>
			<td style="width:139px;">Fine Science Tools (FST), Germany</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">11252-20</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">fine forceps: used to pick nerves</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="60">
			<td height="60" style="height:60px;width:131px;">forceps (biology, Dumont #55)</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">Forceps: Biology, tip 0.05 x 0.02 mm, length 11cm, INOX</td>
			<td style="width:139px;">Fine Science Tools (FST), Germany</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">11255-20</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">extra fine forceps: used for desheathing</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="80">
			<td height="80" style="height:80px;width:131px;">forceps (electronic, Dumont #5)</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">Forceps: Standard, tip 0.1 x 0.06 mm, length 11cm, INOX</td>
			<td style="width:139px;">Fine Science Tools (FST), Germany</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">11251-20</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">coarse forceps:&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; used to grab specimen and pins</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="120">
			<td height="120" style="height:120px;width:131px;">intracellular electrode</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">Borosilicate glass capillaries (outer/inner diameter: 1mm/0.5mm), with filament</td>
			<td style="width:139px;">Sutter Instruments, Novato, CA</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">BF100-50-10</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">for intracellular recording and dyefill of neurons</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="60">
			<td height="60" style="height:60px;width:131px;">Leica S8 Apo StereoZoom</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">Dissection Microscope&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; Zoom 1x - 8x</td>
			<td style="width:139px;">Leica, Germany</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">10446298</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">for extracellular recording</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:131px;">microscope table</td>
			<td style="width:131px;"></td>
			<td style="width:139px;"></td>
			<td style="width:103px;"></td>
			<td style="width:103px;">for extracellular recording</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="60">
			<td height="60" style="height:60px;width:131px;">mirror</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">to illuminate preparation from below</td>
			<td style="width:139px;"></td>
			<td style="width:103px;"></td>
			<td style="width:103px;">for extracellular recording</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:131px;">modeling clay</td>
			<td style="width:131px;"></td>
			<td style="width:139px;"></td>
			<td style="width:103px;"></td>
			<td style="width:103px;">for extracellular recording</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="60">
			<td height="60" style="height:60px;width:131px;">Olympus SZ61</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">Dissection Microscope&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; Zoom 0.67x - 4.5x</td>
			<td style="width:139px;">Olympus, Germany</td>
			<td style="width:103px;"></td>
			<td style="width:103px;">for the dissection</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="60">
			<td height="60" style="height:60px;width:131px;">petri dish&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">94 x 16 mm; lined with clear silicone</td>
			<td style="width:139px;">Greiner bio-one, Germany</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">633180</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">used to pin the isolated chain of ganglia</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="80">
			<td height="80" style="height:80px;width:131px;">ring scissors</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">ThoughCut, cutting edge: sharp/blunt, straight: 13cm</td>
			<td style="width:139px;">Fine Science Tools (FST), Germany</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">14054-13</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">for gross dissection&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; (steps 2.1 - 2.11)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="100">
			<td height="100" style="height:100px;width:131px;">saline dispenser&#160; with a 16 gauge needle (outer &#632; 1.6mm) attached via a flexible tube.</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">Volume ~ 60ml,</td>
			<td style="width:139px;"></td>
			<td style="width:103px;"></td>
			<td style="width:103px;">used for exsanguination</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="120">
			<td height="120" style="height:120px;width:131px;">spring scissors or alternative: Vannas spring scissors</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">cutting edge: 8 mm, tip diameter: 0.2mm, straight: 10cm or cutting edge 2.5 mm, tip diameter 0.075 mm, straight: 8cm</td>
			<td style="width:139px;">Fine Science Tools (FST), Germany</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">15024-10 or&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; 15000-08</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">for desheathing&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="60">
			<td height="60" style="height:60px;width:131px;">stainless steel wire &#632; 0.125 mm&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">to cut pins of 4-7 mm length</td>
			<td style="width:139px;">Goodfellow GmbH, Bad Nauheim, Germany</td>
			<td style="width:103px;"></td>
			<td style="width:103px;">for pinning of the nerve cord</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="140">
			<td height="140" style="height:140px;width:131px;">student Vannas&#160; spring scissors or alternative:&#160; Moria Spring Scissors</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">cutting edge: 5mm, tip diameter: 0.35mm, straight: 9cm or cutting edge: 5mm, tip diameter 0,1 mm, straight: 8 cm</td>
			<td style="width:139px;">Fine Science Tools (FST), Germany</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">91500-09 or&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; 15396-00</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">for gross and fine disection&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; (steps 2.11 - 3.14)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="100">
			<td height="100" style="height:100px;width:131px;">sylgard</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">184 Silicone Elastomer Base and Curing Agent; for black sylgard add activated carbon</td>
			<td style="width:139px;">Dow Corning, Midland, MI, USA</td>
			<td style="width:103px;"></td>
			<td style="width:103px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="100">
			<td height="100" style="height:100px;width:131px;">syringe filled with petroleum jelly and equipped with a 20 gauche needle with rounded tip</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td style="width:103px;">for extracellular recording</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

the swimmeret system of crayfish: a practical guide for the dissection of the nerve cord and extracellular recordings of the motor pattern

Here we demonstrate the dissection of the crayfish abdominal nerve cord. The preparation comprises the last two thoracic ganglia (T4, T5) and the chain of abdominal ganglia (A1 to A6). This chain of ganglia includes the part of the central nervous system (CNS) that drives coordinated locomotion of the pleopods (swimmerets): the swimmeret system. It is known for over five decades that in crayfish each swimmeret is driven by its own independent pattern generating kernel that generates rhythmic alternating activity 1-3. The motor neurons innervating the musculature of each swimmeret comprise two anatomically and functionally distinct populations 4. One is responsible for the retraction (power stroke, PS) of the swimmeret. The other drives the protraction (return stroke, RS) of the swimmeret. Motor neurons of the swimmeret system are able to produce spontaneously a fictive motor pattern, which is identical to the pattern recorded in vivo 1.
The aim of this report is to introduce an interesting and convenient model system for studying rhythm generating networks and coordination of independent microcircuits for students&#8217; practical laboratory courses. The protocol provided includes step-by-step instructions for the dissection of the crayfish&#8217;s abdominal nerve cord, pinning of the isolated chain of ganglia, desheathing the ganglia and recording the swimmerets fictive motor pattern extracellularly from the isolated nervous system.
Additionally, we can monitor the activity of swimmeret neurons recorded intracellularly from dendrites. Here we also describe briefly these techniques and provide some examples. Furthermore, the morphology of swimmeret neurons can be assessed using various staining techniques. Here we provide examples of intracellular (by iontophoresis) dye filled neurons and backfills of pools of swimmeret motor neurons. In our lab we use this preparation to study basic functions of fictive locomotion, the effect of sensory feedback on the activity of the CNS, and coordination between microcircuits on a cellular level.

With the simultaneous extracellular recordings from RS and PS, motor neurons of one ganglion, the alternating activity of these motor neuron pools, can be monitored (Figure 18), representing the fictive locomotion pattern.
<img alt="Figure 18" src="/files/ftp_upload/52109/52109fig18highres.jpg" /> 
Figure 18: Schematic of one ganglion and placement of differential pin electrode. Extracellular recording of RS motor neurons (upper trace) an...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about The Swimmeret System of Crayfish: A Practical Guide for the Dissection of the Nerve Cord and Extracellular Recordings of the Motor Pattern at JoVE.com

The Swimmeret System of Crayfish: A Practical Guide for the Dissection of the Nerve Cord and Extracellular Recordings of the Motor Pattern

Here we describe the dissection of the crayfish abdominal nerve cord. We also demonstrate an electrophysiological technique to record fictive locomotion from swimmeret motor neurons.

Here we demonstrate the dissection of the crayfish abdominal nerve cord. The preparation comprises the last two thoracic ganglia (T4, T5) and the chain of ...

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Neuroscience

11.9K Görüntüleme.  University of Cologne. Here we describe the dissection of the crayfish abdominal nerve cord. We also demonstrate an electrophysiological technique to record fictive locomotion from swimmeret motor neurons. 