Type: Pharyngeal motor neuron
In MoW:
Male Wiring Project: M2
In Wormbase: M2, M2L, M2R
Lineage: AB araapappa, AB araappppa
Location: Pharynx posterior bulb
Description: M2L/R are a pair of unipolar neurons with processes which run anteriorly in the subventral nerve cords. After making synapses on pm5, these processes travel past the pharyngeal

nerve ring without changing course. They then travel dorsally piercing through pm4 while making motor synapses on pm4 along this course. These are one of the two pharyngeal neuron pairs (the other pair is M3) that do not make their dorsal turn within the nerve ring but more anteriorly within the muscle cells. They terminate in gap junctions to each other when they meet on the dorsal side (Albertson and Thomson, 1976)
Neurotransmitter/ Neuropeptide:
- Acetylcholine
- FLP-18 ; FMRFamide-related neuropeptide (FaRP)
- FLP-21; FMRFamide-related neuropeptide (FaRP)
- NLP-3; neuropeptide-like protein
- NLP-13; neuropeptide-like protein
(Loer, 2010; Duerr et al, 2008; Rogers et al., 2003; Nathoo et al., 2001)
Innexin expression:
- INX-12
- INX-13
(Altun et al., 2009)
Receptor expression:
Function: Unknown or redundant (Avery and Thomas, 1997; Chiang et al., 2002)