Type: Interneuron
In MoW: RIC
Male Wiring Project: RICL, RICR
In Wormbase: RIC, RICL, RICR
Lineage: AB plppaaaapp, ABprppaaaapp
Location: Head
Description: Octopaminergic interneurons
Neurotransmitter/ Neuropeptide:
- Octopamine
(Alkema et al., 2005)
Innexin expression:
- INX-4 (aka CHE-7)
- UNC-7
- UNC-9
(Altun et al., 2009)
Receptor expression:
- SER-1; serotonin receptor
(Dernovici et al, 2007; Carnell et al, 2005)

Function:
- Dopaminergic CEP neurons are presynaptic to both the octopaminergic RIC neurons and the SIA neurons. In the absence of food octopamine is released from the RIC neurons and humorally activates the octopamine receptor SER-3 in the cholinergic SIA neurons (in the absence of food, activation of DAF-3 by loss of DAF-7 signaling leads to increased octopamine signaling from the RIC neurons and the cyclic AMP response element binding protein becomes activated in SIA). Dopamine signaling suppresses octopamine signaling through a mechanism that requires two D2-like dopamine receptors DOP-2 and DOP-3 , located on both the SIA neurons and RIC neurons (Suo et al., 2009)