Type: Ventral cord motor neuron, proprioceptive neuron
In MoW: DBn
Male Wiring Project: DB01, DB02, DB03, DB04, DB05, DB06, DB07
In Wormbase: DB, DB1/3, DB2, DB3/1, DB4, DB5, DB6, DB7
Lineage: AB plpaaaapp or AB prpaaaapp, AB arappappa, AB prpaaaapp or AB plpaaaapp, AB prpappapp, AB plpapappp, AB plppaappp, AB prppaappp
Location: Body (ventral nerve cord)
Description: Ventral cord "dorsal B " motor neurons. These neurons innervate dorsal muscles.
Neurotransmitter/ Neuropeptide:
- Acetylcholine
(Duerr et al., 2008; Rand and Nonet, 1997-Appendix 2)
Innexin expression:
- INX-3
- UNC-9
(Altun et al., 2009)
Receptor expression:
- ACR-14; nicotinic AChR non-alpha subunit
- Possibly PDFR-1; pigment dispersing factor (PDF-1) receptor (in DB2)
(Barrios et al., 2012; Fox et al., 2005)
Function:
- Forward locomotion. DB's receive input from the command interneurons, AVB and PVC. They send output to VD neurons. See Locomotory circuit.
- Proprioception involving propagation of rhythmic activities along the body during forward locomotion. Ventral and dorsal bending of an anterior body region directly activates VB and DB motor neurons (Wen et al., 2012). Gap junctions between neighbors as well as overlapping segments of their processes then propagate the bending signal from anterior to posterior. The mechanosensitive-proprioceptive receptors are likely localized near the anterior of the processes.