lateral gastric nerve (sensu Cancer borealis)

The lateral gastric nerve in Cancer borealis consists of lateral gastric (LG) neurons that are part of the gastric mill central pattern generator circuit in the stomatogastric nervous system. The LG neurons, along with medial gastric and lateral posterior gastric neurons, are involved in controlling the movements of the lateral teeth in the crustacean gastric mill.

In Cancer borealis, the lateral gastric nerve projects from the stomatogastric ganglion to the lateral teeth musculature of the gastric mill region of the foregut. It is one of several nerves exiting the stomatogastric ganglion that carry motor commands to the teeth and associated muscles used for grinding food.

The lateral gastric nerve is involved in controlling the movements of the lateral teeth in the crustacean gastric mill. Lateral gastric neurons participate in the alternating activity pattern with medial gastric and lateral posterior gastric neurons, producing the coordinated rhythmic movements that grind food particles within the gastric mill of Cancer borealis.

In experimental neuroscience, activation or inhibition of the gastric mill rhythm through neuromodulatory input or pharmacological application may be associated with altered activity in the lateral gastric nerve. The modulatory commissural neuron 1 (MCN1) and other projection neurons are known to activate the gastric mill circuit, influencing lateral gastric neuron activity.

The lateral gastric nerve is examined using extracellular suction electrode recordings from dissected stomatogastric nervous system preparations. These recordings reveal the bursting activity pattern of LG neurons. Intracellular recordings and photoinactivation techniques allow further study of individual neuron contributions, while dye fills and immunohistochemistry characterize the nerve anatomically.