Remodelling of neuromuscular systems during insect metamorphosis

Karla S. Kent, Christos Consoulas, Karen Duncan, Rebecca M. Johnston, Rene Luedeman, Richard B. Levine

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

17 Scopus citations

Abstract

During metamorphosis in the hawkmoth, Manduca sexta, the larval thoracic legs are replaced by a new set of adult legs that include new sensory neurons and muscles, and participate in new patterns of locomotor activity. Larval leg motoneurons persist to innervate the new adult leg muscles, but undergo striking changes in dendritic morphology that are regulated by the insect steroid, 20-hydroxyecdysone. In the periphery, the motor terminals regress as larval muscles degenerate, and expand as new adult muscles form from myoblasts. Evidence obtained both in vivo and in vitro suggests that the proliferation of myoblasts during metamorphosis is dependent upon innervation.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)578-584
Number of pages7
JournalIntegrative and Comparative Biology
Volume35
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 1995

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Animal Science and Zoology
  • Plant Science

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