Type:Motor neuron, interneuron Male Wiring Project:PVY In Wormbase:PVY Lineage:P11.paap Location:Preanal ganglion Description:Postembryonically born. Male specific interneuron (Sulston et al., 1980) Neurotransmitter/ Neuropeptide:
- Acetylcholine (Pereira et al., 2015; Sherlekar et al, 2013) Innexin expression: Receptor expression: Function:
- Plays role in backing during vulva search in male mating behavior. When not engaged in mating male animal's default directional bias,
similar to the hermaphrodite's, is forward locomotion. This is due to high levels of activity in the AVB-driven forward pathway of the sex-shared locomotory system and ensures exploration. Contact with mate, on the other hand, activates ray neurons which activate PVY and PVX. PVY/PVX, in turn, preferentially activate AVA-driven backward locomotion system through ACh release and ACh receptors ACR-18, ACR-16 and UNC-29 on AVA neuron, allowing for contact-based search of the hermaphrodite's surface for vulva location (Sherlekar et al, 2013; Emmons and Sternberg, 1997)
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