Aplysia R15 neuron

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Author: Dr. Robert Butera, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA

1 Introduction
2 Discovery and Function
3 Ionic Basis of Bursting
4 Neuromodulation of Bursting
5 Computational Models of R15 Burst Dynamics and Modulation
6 Model-based Analyses of R15 Dynamics

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Introduction

Neuron R15, located in the abdominal ganglion of the gastropod mollusc Aplysia Californica, is the first intrinsically bursting neuron to receive extensive study using single cell electrophysiology techniques. Much of the investigation of the nature of electrical bursting of single neurons was motivated by the initial study of this neuron, and it was later one of the first to receive extensive study of the role of neuromodulation in biasing single neuron burst dynamics.

This article will review the biological basics of the anatomy and physiological function of neuron R15, followed by a summary of a history of studies into the ionic basis of bursting. We will continue with a summary of studies of neuromodulation of ion channels and the effect of burst dynamics, followed by a history of computational modeling efforts focused on this neuron.

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