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Cyborg control of insect movement is promising for developing miniature, high-mobility, and efficient biohybrid robots. However, considering the inter-individual variation of the insect neuromuscular apparatus and its neural control is challenging. We propose a hierarchical model including inter-individual variation of muscle properties of three leg muscles involved in propulsion (retractor coxae), joint stiffness (pro- and retractor coxae), and stance-swing transition (protractor coxae and levator trochanteris) in the stick insect Carausius morosus. To estimate mechanical effects induced by external muscle stimulation, the model is based on the systematic evaluation of joint torques as functions of electrical stimulation parameters. A nearly linear relationship between the stimulus burst duration and generated torque was observed. This stimulus-torque characteristic holds for burst durations of up to 500ms, corresponding to the stance and swing phase durations of medium to fast walking stick insects. Hierarchical Bayesian modeling revealed that linearity of the stimulus-torque characteristic was invariant, with individually varying slopes. Individual prediction of joint torques provides significant benefits for precise cyborg control.

Background: Preliminary testing of novel drugs for colorectal conditions must be performed on animal models, with invertebratemodels desirable for practical reasons. The insect excretory organs, the Malpighian tubules, have been cited as models for humanrenal disease research because they differentially express several genes homologous to those differentially expressed in humankidneys. Their role in excretion and homeostasis suggests that they could be models for human colorectal disease. The insect Carausiusmorosus (Phasmatodea) has been a model organism for decades. Regarding its potential use as a colorectal disease model,it has an advantage over other insects in that excretion in Phasmatodea is split between two organs: Malpighian tubules and thePhasmatodea-specific “appendices of the midgut”.Objectives: To find homologues of human colon genes expressed in the excretory tissues of C. morosus for potential use in drugtesting and other experiments requiring an animal model.Methods: Pre-existing transcriptomics data for the excretory system of the C. morosus were examined to find genes homologous tothose known to have elevated expression in the human colon. This was done with the goal of possibly determining the excretorytissues in which they are differentially expressed.Results: Exactly sixty transcripts from the excretory system transcriptome of C. morosus showed high sequence homology withhuman colon-specific genes, with a minimum e-value of 1e-50. Examples include solute carriers, myosin, bestrophin, carbonic anhydrase,and nitric oxide synthase. Several genes were identified with prognostic value for renal, pancreatic, endometrial, liver, skin,and urothelial cancers.Conclusions: C. morosus can be used as model insect for human medical research applications, including colorectal drug testing.

The corpora cardiaca of the Indian stick insect, Carausius morosus, synthesize two decapeptide neuropeptides of the adipokinetic hormone (AKH) family, both of which can increase the trehalose levels in the hemolymph when the stick insect is ligated between the head and the thorax. Here, we use two biological assays to assess the potencies of 19 AKH analogs in ligated C. morosus: the carbohydrate-mobilizing assay measures the change in the levels of circulating carbohydrates following injection of a substance, while the semi-exposed heart assay measures a change in heart beat rate after the peptide is applied onto the heart. With the endogenous AKH (Carmo-HrTH-II) as lead peptide, we report here on seven naturally-occurring AKH peptides (bioanalogs) selected for testing because of a single or double amino acid replacement, or for being octapeptides. Single amino acid substitutions by an alanine residue at all positions of Carmo-HrTH-II, as well as analogs modified at the termini were also investigated to give a comprehensive view of ligand-receptor interaction at the physiological level in a hemimetabolous insect that practices thanatosis (feigning death). Only small changes are elicited in the bioassays, but the results from the two tests are comparable bar one or two anomalies. Results show that analogs modified at the termini have no or reduced activity. Regarding structural requirements of a ligand, the C. morosus AKH receptor appears to be strict: octapeptides are not preferred and many of the decapeptide analogs failed to reach 50% activity relative to Carmo-HrTH-II. The data implies that the AKH receptor in C. morosus mostly does not tolerate shorter peptides and single amino acid replacements in most places of the native AKH peptide. This information is important if environmentally friendly insect-specific pesticides are made based on an insect AKH as lead peptide: stick insects that are normally not viewed as pest insects may not be easily targeted by cross-reactive AKH mimetics directed at harmful insects, due to the very specific amino acid requirements to activate the C. morosus AKH receptor.

The corpora cardiaca of the Indian stick insect, Carausius morosus , synthesize two decapeptide neuropeptides of the adipokinetic hormone (AKH) family, both of which can increase the trehalose levels in the hemolymph when the stick insect is ligated between the head and the thorax. Here, we use two biological assays to assess the potencies of 19 AKH analogs in ligated C. morosus : the carbohydrate-mobilizing assay measures the change in the levels of circulating carbohydrates following injection of a substance, while the semi-exposed heart assay measures a change in heart beat rate after the peptide is applied onto the heart. With the endogenous AKH (Carmo-HrTH-II) as lead peptide, we report here on seven naturally-occurring AKH peptides (bioanalogs) selected for testing because of a single or double amino acid replacement, or for being octapeptides. Single amino acid substitutions by an alanine residue at all positions of Carmo-HrTH-II, as well as analogs modified at the termini were also investigated to give a comprehensive view of ligand-receptor interaction at the physiological level in a hemimetabolous insect that practices thanatosis (feigning death). Only small changes are elicited in the bioassays, but the results from the two tests are comparable bar one or two anomalies. Results show that analogs modified at the termini have no or reduced activity. Regarding structural requirements of a ligand, the C. morosus AKH receptor appears to be strict: octapeptides are not preferred and many of the decapeptide analogs failed to reach 50% activity relative to Carmo-HrTH-II. The data implies that the AKH receptor in C. morosus mostly does not tolerate shorter peptides and single amino acid replacements in most places of the native AKH peptide. This information is important if environmentally friendly insect-specific pesticides are made based on an insect AKH as lead peptide: stick insects that are normally not viewed as pest insects may not be easily targeted by cross-reactive AKH mimetics directed at harmful insects, due to the very specific amino acid requirements to activate the C. morosus AKH receptor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are 7-transmembrane proteins that transduce various extracellular signals into intracellular pathways. They are the major target of neuropeptides, which regulate the development, feeding behavior, mating behavior, circadian rhythm, and many other physiological functions of insects. In the present study, we performed RNA sequencing and de novo transcriptome assembly to uncover the GPCRs expressed in the stick insect Carausius morosus. The transcript assemblies were predicted for the presence of 7-transmembrane GPCR domains. As a result, 430 putative GPCR transcripts were obtained and 43 of these revealed full-length sequences with highly significant similarity to known GPCR sequences in the databases. Thirteen different GPCRs were chosen for tissue expression analysis. Some of these receptors, such as calcitonin, inotocin, and tyramine receptors, showed specific expression in some of the tissues. Additionally, GPCR prediction yielded a novel uncharacterized GPCR sequence, which was specifically expressed in the central nervous system and ganglia. Previously, the only information about the anatomy of the stick insect was on its gastrointestinal system. This study provides complete anatomical information about the adult insect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the lifespan of the stick insect Carausius morosus, their long and narrow tibiae experience substantial compressive loads. The mechanical load on the tibiae increases as the weight of the insect rises. The increase in body weight is accompanied by a notable increase in the insect's body size and, accordingly, by an increase in the length of the tibiae. Both of these changes can raise the risk of buckling of the tibiae. In this study, we tracked changes in the material and geometric properties of the hindleg tibia of C. morosus during growth. The results show that although buckling (either by Euler buckling or local buckling) is the dominant failure mode under compression, the tibia is very capable of maintaining its buckling resistance in each postembryonic developmental stage. This is essentially the result of a compromise between the increasing slenderness of the tibia and its increasing material stiffness. The use of an optimal radius to thickness ratio, a soft resilin-dominated core, and chitin fibres oriented in both longitudinal and circumferential directions are presumably additional strategies preventing buckling of the tibia. This study, providing the first quantitative data on changes in the biomechanical properties of cuticle during the entire life of an insect, is expected to shed more light on the structure--property--function relationship in this complex biological composite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Malpighian tubules are the insect excretory organs, responsible for ion and water homeostasis and elimination of nitrogenous wastes. Post-genomic assays suggest they also metabolize and detoxify xenobiotic compounds and have antimicrobial properties. The Phasmatodea have an additional, unique set of excretory organs referred to predominantly as midgut appendices. Their function and how it compares to phasmid and other insect Malpighian tubules is unknown. Hypotheses include carbonic anhydrase activity, calcium and metal cation sequestration, and xenobiotic transport. This work presents the first comparative transcriptomic analysis of the Phasmatodean excretory organs, using the model insect Carausius morosus. I produced de novo transcriptomes of the midgut appendices, midgut wall, and Malpighian tubules, and looked for differentially expressed genes associated with putative organ functions. The appendices differentially and highly express lipid transport and metabolism proteins, and the biomineralization gene otopetrin. The Malpighian tubules differentially and highly express acid phosphatases and multiple transporter types, while appendices express fat-soluble vitamin and peptide transporters. Many defense proteins such as multidrug resistance proteins, ABC transporters, cytochrome P450’s, and glutathione-S-transferases were differentially expressed in specific excretory organs. I hypothesize that the appendices and Malpighian tubules both have defensive / xenobiotic metabolism functions, but each likely target different substrates. Phasmid Malpighian tubules excrete as in other insects, while the appendices may predominantly regulate amino acids, fats, and fat-soluble compounds. Lipid metabolism in insects is poorly understood, and the Phasmatodea may thus serve as a model for studying this further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies had shown that the corpora cardiaca (CC) of the Indian stick insect, Carausius morosus, synthesizes two hypertrehalosemic hormones (HrTHs)-decapeptides which differ in the way that the chromatographically less-hydrophobic form, code-named Carmo-HrTH-I, is modified by an unique C-mannosylated tryptophan residue at position 8. The availability of milligram amounts of this modified peptide in synthetic form now makes it possible to study physico-chemical and physiological properties. This study revealed that the synthetic peptide co-elutes with the natural peptide from the CC chromatographically, is heat stable for at least 30 min at 100°C, and causes hyperlipemia in acceptor locusts (a heterologous bioassay) and hypertrehalosemia in ligated stick insects (conspecific bioassay). In vitro incubation of Carmo-HrTH-I together with stick insect hemolymph (a natural source of peptidases) demonstrated clearly via chromatographic separation that the C-mannosylated Trp bond is stable and is not broken down to Carmo-HrTH-II (the more-hydrophobic decapeptide with an unmodified Trp residue). This notwithstanding, breakdown of Carmo-HrTH-I did take place, and the half-life of the compound was calculated as about 5 min. Finally, the natural peptide is releasable when CC are treated in vitro with a depolarizing saline (high potassium concentration) suggesting its role as true HrTHs in the stick insect. In conclusion, the results indicate that Carmo-HrTH-I which is synthesized in the CC is released into the hemolymph, binds to a HrTH receptor in the fat body, activates the carbohydrate metabolism pathway and is quickly inactivated in the hemolymph by (an) as yet unknown peptidase(s)., (© 2023 The Authors. Archives of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Animals and humans need to move deftly and flexibly to adapt to environmental demands. Despite a large body of work on the neural control of walking in invertebrates and vertebrates alike, the mechanisms underlying the motor flexibility that is needed to adjust the motor behavior remain largely unknown. Here, we investigated optomotor-induced turning and the neuronal mechanisms underlying the differences between the leg movements of the two body sides in the stick insect Carausius morosus. We present data to show that the generation of turning kinematics in an insect are the combined result of descending unilateral commands that change the leg motor output via task-specific modifications in the processing of local sensory feedback as well as modification of the activity of local central pattern generating networks in a body-side-specific way. To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate the specificity of such modifications in a defined motor task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Producing context-appropriate motor acts requires integrating multiple sensory modalities. Presynaptic inhibition of proprioceptive afferent neurons 1–4 and afferents of different modalities targeting the same motor neurons (MNs) 5–7 underlies some of this integration. However, in most systems, an interneuronal network is interposed between sensory afferents and MNs. How these networks contribute to this integration, particularly at single-neuron resolution, is little understood. Context-specific integration of load and movement sensory inputs occurs in the stick insect locomotory system, 6,8–12 and both inputs feed into a network of premotor nonspiking interneurons (NSIs). 8 We analyzed how load altered movement signal processing in the stick insect femur-tibia (FTi) joint control system by tracing the interaction of FTi movement 13–15 (femoral chordotonal organ [fCO]) and load 13,15,16 (tibial campaniform sensilla [CS]) signals through the NSI network to the slow extensor tibiae (SETi) MN, the extensor MN primarily active in non-walking animals. 17–19 On the afferent level, load reduced movement signal gain by presynaptic inhibition. In the NSI network, graded responses to movement and load inputs summed nonlinearly, increasing the gain of NSIs opposing movement-induced reflexes and thus decreasing the SETi and extensor tibiae muscle movement reflex responses. Gain modulation was movement-parameter specific and required presynaptic inhibition. These data suggest that gain changes in distributed premotor networks, specifically the relative weighting of antagonistic pathways, could be a general mechanism by which multiple sensory modalities are integrated to generate context-appropriate motor activity. [Display omitted] • Multimodal signal interactions control proprioceptive reflex gain • Proprioceptive load signals presynaptically inhibit movement afferents • Non-linear signal integration shifts the weighting of antagonistic premotor pathways • Movement reflex motor gain is decreased in the presence of load Gebehart et al. report a mechanism in the insect leg motor system that alters reflex gain of one proprioceptive modality (movement) in the presence of another (load). Presynaptic afferent inhibition leads to non-linear signal integration in the distributed premotor network, strengthening opposing pathways, thereby reducing movement reflex gain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adhesive organs like arolia of insects allow these animals to climb on different substrates by creating high adhesion forces. According to the Dahlquist criterion, adhesive organs must be very soft, exhibiting an effective Young's modulus of below 100kPa to adhere well to substrates. Such a low effective Young's modulus allows the adhesive organs to make almost direct contact with the substrate and results in van der Waals forces along with capillary forces. In previous studies, the effective Young's moduli of adhesive organs were determined using indentation tests, revealing their structure to be very soft. However, adhesive organs show a layered structure, thus the measured values comprise the effective Young's moduli of several layers of the adhesive organs. In this study, a new approach is illustrated to measure the Young's modulus of the outermost layer of the arolium, i.e. of the epicuticle, of the stick insect Carausius morosus. As a result of the epicuticle being supported by upright fibres, tensile tests allow the determination of the Young's modulus of the epicuticle with hardly influence from subjacent layers. In our tensile tests, arolia of stick insects adhering on a latex membrane were stretched by stretching the membrane while the elongation of the contact area between an arolium and the membrane was recorded. For analysis, mathematical models of the mechanical system were developed. When fed with the observed elongations, these models yield estimates for the Young's modulus of the epicuticle of approximately 100 MPa. Thus, in arolia, a very thin layer (~225nm) of a rather stiff material, which is less susceptible to abrasion, makes contact with the substrates, whereas the inner fibrous structure of arolia is responsible for their softness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of scaling issues, passive muscle and joint forces become increasingly important as limb size decreases. 1–3 In some small limbs, passive forces can drive swing in locomotion, 4,5 and antagonist passive torques help control limb swing velocity. 6 In stance, minimizing antagonist muscle and joint passive forces could save energy. These considerations predict that, for small limbs, evolution would result in the angle range over which passive forces are too small to cause limb movement (called "resting-state range" in prior insect work 4 and "area of neutral equilibrium" in physics and engineering) correlating with the limb's typical working range, usually that in locomotion. We measured the most protracted and retracted thorax-femur (ThF) angles of the pro- (front), meso- (middle), and metathoracic (hind) leg during stick insect (Carausius morosus) walks. This ThF working range differed in the three leg types, being more posterior in more posterior legs. In other experiments, we manually protracted or retracted the denervated front, middle, and hind legs. Upon release, passive forces moved the leg in the opposite direction (retraction or protraction) until it reached the most protracted or most retracted edge of the ThF resting-state range. The ThF resting-state angle ranges correlated with the leg-type working range, being more posterior in more posterior legs. The most protracted ThF walking angles were more retracted than the post-protraction ThF angles, and the most retracted ThF walking angles were similar to the post-retraction ThF angles. These correlations of ThF working- and resting-state ranges could simplify motor control and save energy. These data also provide an example of evolution altering behavior by changing passive muscle and joint properties. 7 • Walk horizontal body-to-leg angles differ by stick insect leg type • Return angles after manual deflection of denervated legs also differ by leg type • Walking and return body-to-leg angle ranges correlate in each leg type • Example of evolution altering passive properties as behavior changes The walk horizontal body-to-leg angles are more posterior in more posterior stick insect legs. In small limbs, passive forces play a large role in leg movement. Therefore, Guschlbauer et al. measured the return body-to-leg angles after the deflection of denervated legs. The walking and return angle ranges correlate, matching the passive properties of each leg to the leg's behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In its natural habitat, Carausius morosus climbs on the branches of bushes and trees. Previous work suggested that stick insects perform targeting movements with their hindlegs to find support more easily. It has been assumed that the animals use position information from the anterior legs to control the touchdown position of the ipsilateral posterior legs. Here we addressed the question of whether not only the hindleg but also the middle leg performs targeting, and whether targeting is still present in a walking animal when influences of mechanical coupling through the ground are removed. If this were the case, it would emphasize the role of underlying neuronal mechanisms. We studied whether targeting occurred in both legs, when the rostral neighboring leg, i.e. either the middle or the front leg, was placed at defined positions relative to the body, and analyzed targeting precision for dependency on the targeted position. Under these conditions, the touchdown positions of the hindlegs show correlation to the position of the middle leg parallel and perpendicular to the body axis, while only weak correlation exists between the middle and front legs, and only in parallel to the body axis. In continuously walking tethered animals, targeting accuracy of the hindlegs and middle legs parallel to the body axis barely differed. However, targeting became significantly more accurate perpendicular to the body axis. Our results suggest that a neural mechanism exists for controlling the touchdown position of the posterior leg but that the strength of this mechanism is segment specific and dependent on the behavioral context in which it is used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analysis of inter-leg coordination in insect walking is generally a study of six-legged locomotion. For decades, the stick insect Carausius morosus has been instrumental for unravelling the rules and mechanisms that control leg coordination in hexapeds. We analysed inter-leg coordination in C. morosus that freely walked on straight paths on plane surfaces with different slopes. Consecutive 1.7 s sections were assigned inter-leg coordination patterns (which we call gaits) based on footfall patterns. Regular gaits, i.e. wave, tetrapod or tripod gaits, occurred in different proportions depending on surface slopes. Tetrapod gaits were observed most frequently, wave gaits only occurred on 90deg inclining slopes and tripod gaits occurred most often on 15deg declining slopes, i.e. in 40% of the sections. Depending on the slope, 36-66% of the sections were assigned irregular gaits. Irregular gaits were mostly due to multiple stepping by the front legs, which is perhaps probing behaviour, not phase coupled to the middle legs' cycles. In irregular gaits, middle leg and hindleg coordination was regular, related to quadrupedal walk and wave gaits. Apparently, front legs uncouple from and couple to the walking system without compromising middle leg and hindleg coordination. In front leg amputees, the remaining legs were strictly coordinated. In hindleg and middle leg amputees, the front legs continued multiple stepping. The coordination of middle leg amputees was maladapted, with front legs and hindlegs performing multiple steps or ipsilateral legs being in simultaneous swing. Thus, afferent information from middle legs might be necessary for a regular hindleg stepping pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimization of sensory processing during development can be studied by using photoreceptors of hemimetabolous insects (with incomplete metamorphosis) as a research model. We have addressed this topic in the stick insect Carausius morosus, where retinal growth after hatching is accompanied by a diurnal-to-nocturnal shift in behavior, by recording from photoreceptors of first instar nymphs and adult animals using the patch-clamp method. In the nymphs, ommatidia were smaller and photoreceptors were on average 15-fold less sensitive to light than in adults. The magnitude of A-type ?⁺ current did not increase but the delayed rectifier doubled in adults compared with nymphs, the ?⁺ current densities being greater in the nymphs. By contrast, the density of light-induced current did not increase, although its magnitude increased 8.6-fold, probably due to the growth of microvilli. Nymph photoreceptors performed poorly, demonstrating a peak information rate (IR) of 2.9 ± 0.7 bits/s versus 34.1 ± 5.0 bits/s in adults in response to white-noise stimulation. Strong correlations were found between photoreceptor capacitance (a proxy for cell size) and IR, and between light sensitivity and IR, with larger and more sensitive photoreceptors performing better. In adults, IR peaked at light intensities matching irradiation from the evening sky. Our results indicate that biophysical properties of photoreceptors at each age stage and visual behavior are interdependent and that developmental improvement in photoreceptor performance may facilitate the switch from the diurnal to the safer nocturnal lifestyle. This also has implications for how photoreceptors achieve optimal performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hill-type parameter values measured in experiments on single muscles show large across-muscle variation. Using individual-muscle specific values instead of the more standard approach of across-muscle means might therefore improve muscle model performance. We show here that using mean values increased simulation normalized RMS error in all tested motor nerve stimulation paradigms in both isotonic and isometric conditions, doubling mean simulation error from 9 to 18 (different at p < 0.0001). These data suggest muscle-specific measurement of Hill-type model parameters is necessary in work requiring highly accurate muscle model construction. Maximum muscle force ( F) showed large (fourfold) across-muscle variation. To test the role of F in model performance we compared the errors of models using mean F and muscle-specific values for the other model parameters, and models using muscle-specific F values and mean values for the other model parameters. Using muscle-specific F values did not improve model performance compared to using mean values for all parameters, but using muscle-specific values for all parameters but F did (to an error of 14, different from muscle-specific, mean all parameters, and mean only F errors at p ≤ 0.014). Significantly improving model performance thus required muscle-specific values for at least a subset of parameters other than F, and best performance required muscle-specific values for this subset and F. Detailed consideration of model performance suggested that remaining model error likely stemmed from activation of both fast and slow motor neurons in our experiments and inadequate specification of model activation dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Characterizing muscle requires measuring such properties as force-length, force-activation, and force-velocity curves. These characterizations require large numbers of data points because both what type of function (e.g., linear, exponential, hyperbolic) best represents each property, and the values of the parameters in the relevant equations, need to be determined. Only a few properties are therefore generally measured in experiments on any one muscle, and complete characterizations are obtained by averaging data across a large number of muscles. Such averaging approaches can work well for muscles that are similar across individuals. However, considerable evidence indicates that large inter-individual variation exists, at least for some muscles. This variation poses difficulties for across-animal averaging approaches. Methods to fully describe all muscle's characteristics in experiments on individual muscles would therefore be useful. Prior work in stick insect extensor muscle has identified what functions describe each of this muscle's properties and shown that these equations apply across animals. Characterizing these muscles on an individual-by-individual basis therefore requires determining only the values of the parameters in these equations, not equation form. We present here techniques that allow determining all these parameter values in experiments on single muscles. This technique will allow us to compare parameter variation across individuals and to model muscles individually. Similar experiments can likely be performed on single muscles in other systems. This approach may thus provide a widely applicable method for characterizing and modeling muscles from single experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Models built using mean data can represent only a very small percentage, or none, of the population being modeled, and produce different activity than any member of it. Overcoming this 'averaging' pitfall requires measuring, in single individuals in single experiments, all of the system's defining characteristics. We have developed protocols that allow all the parameters in the curves used in typical Hill-type models (passive and active force-length, series elasticity, force-activation, force-velocity) to be determined from experiments on individual stick insect muscles (Blümel et al. ). A requirement for means to not well represent the population is that the population shows large variation in its defining characteristics. We therefore used these protocols to measure extensor muscle defining parameters in multiple animals. Across-animal variability in these parameters can be very large, ranging from 1.3- to 17-fold. This large variation is consistent with earlier data in which extensor muscle responses to identical motor neuron driving showed large animal-to-animal variability (Hooper et al. ), and suggests accurate modeling of extensor muscles requires modeling individual-by-individual. These complete characterizations of individual muscles also allowed us to test for parameter correlations. Two parameter pairs significantly co-varied, suggesting that a simpler model could as well reproduce muscle response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In the present study, the tarsal attachment pads (euplantulae) of two stick insect species (Phasmatodea) were compared. While the euplantulae of Cuniculina impigra (syn. Medauroidea extradentata) are smooth, those of Carausius morosus bear small nubs on their surfaces. In order to characterize the adhesive and frictional properties of both types of euplantulae, adhesion and friction measurements on smooth (Ra=0.054μm) and rough (Ra=1.399μm) substrates were carried out. The smooth pads of C. impigra generated stronger adhesion on the smooth substrate than on the rough one. The adhesive forces of the structured pads of C. morosus did not differ between the two substrates. Friction experiments showed anisotropy for both species with higher values for proximal pulls than for distal pushes. In C. impigra, friction was stronger on the smooth than on the rough surface for both directions, whereas in C. morosus friction was stronger on the smooth surface only for pushes. This shows that smooth attachment pads are able to generate relatively stronger adhesion and friction on a flat smooth surface than on a rough one. In contrast, nubby pads have similar adhesion on both substrates, and also show no difference in friction in the pulling direction. This leads to the conclusion that smooth pads are specialized for rather smooth substrates, whereas nubby pads are better adapted to generate stronger forces on a broader range of surfaces. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The corpora cardiaca of the Vietnamese stick insect, Baculum extradentatum, contain a member of the adipokinetic hormone/red pigment-concentrating hormone/hypertrehalosemic hormone (AKH/RPCH/HrTH) family of peptides whose sequence is identical to that originally described for the Indian stick insect, Carausius morosus. This decapeptide, Carmo-HrTH-II (pELTFTPNWGTa), has both hypertrehalosemic and cardioacceleratory activity in B. extradentatum, and hyperlipaemic activity in locusts. Reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) of corpora cardiaca extract followed by MALDI-TOF MS/MS also revealed a novel modification of a second peptide in B. extradentatum: the tryptophan residue at position 8 is post-translationally modified to kynurenine. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The antenna of the Indian stick insect Carausius morosus is a highly specialized near-range sensory probe used to actively sample tactile cues about location, distance or shape of external objects in real time. The length of the antenna’s flagellum is 100 times the diameter at the base, making it a very delicate and slender structure. Like the rest of the insect body, it is covered by a protective exoskeletal cuticle, making it stiff enough to allow controlled, active, exploratory movements and hard enough to resist damage and wear. At the same time, it is highly flexible in response to contact forces, and returns rapidly to its straight posture without oscillations upon release of contact force. Which mechanical adaptations allow stick insects to unfold the remarkable combination of maintaining a sufficiently invariant shape between contacts and being sufficiently compliant during contact? What role does the cuticle play? Our results show that, based on morphological differences, the flagellum can be divided into three zones, consisting of a tapered cone of stiff exocuticle lined by an inner wedge of compliant endocuticle. This inner wedge is thick at the antenna’s base and thin at its distal half. The decay time constant after deflection, a measure that indicates strength of damping, is much longer at the base than in the distal half of the flagellum. Upon experimental desiccation, reducing mass and compliance of the endocuticle, the flagellum becomes under-damped. Analysing the frequency components indicates that the flagellum can be abstracted with the model of a double pendulum with springs and dampers in both joints. We conclude that in the stick-insect antenna the cuticle properties described are structural correlates of damping, allowing for a straight posture in the instant of a new contact event, combined with a maximum of flexibility. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Detection of force increases and decreases is important in motor control. Experiments were performed to characterize the structure and responses of tibial campaniform sensilla, receptors that encode forces through cuticular strains, in the middle leg of the stick insect ( Carausius morosus). The sensilla consist of distinct subgroups. Group 6A sensilla are located 0.3 mm distal to the femoro-tibial joint and have oval shaped cuticular caps. Group 6B receptors are 1 mm distal to the joint and have round caps. All sensilla show directional, phasico-tonic responses to forces applied to the tibia in the plane of joint movement. Group 6B sensilla respond to force increases in the direction of joint extension while Group 6A receptors discharge when those forces decrease. Forces applied in the direction of joint flexion produce the reverse pattern of sensory discharge. All receptors accurately encode the rate of change of force increments and decrements. Contractions of tibial muscles also produce selective, directional sensory discharges. The subgroups differ in their reflex effects: Group 6B receptors excite and Group 6A sensilla inhibit tibial extensor and trochanteral depressor motoneurons. The tibial campaniform sensilla can, therefore, encode force increases or decreases and aid in adapting motor outputs to changes in load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The activity of the middle part of the claw retractor muscle was examined in two species of stick insects (Carausius morosus and Cuniculina impigra). We performed electromyographic recordings while the animals were standing on a smooth or a rough surface of a platform in horizontal, vertical or inverted positions, as well as during rotations of the platform. We recorded tonic and phasic motor units. The tonic units were active all the time without significant differences in spike frequency, regardless of the position of the animals (although there was a tendency for higher discharge frequencies to occur during platform rotations). The phasic units were active almost exclusively during platform movement. In contrast to the tonic units, we detected significant differences in the activities of the phasic units; namely, higher spike frequencies during rotations compared with the stationary phases, especially for rotations into 'more awkward' positions. A comparison of the two species revealed no difference in muscle activity, despite differences in the animals' tarsal attachment structures. The same was true when comparing the muscle activity of the two species on both the smooth and the rough surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used patch-clamp recordings and fast optical Ca2+imaging to characterize an acetylcholine-induced current (IACh) in leg motoneurons of the stick insect Carausius morosus. Our long-term goal is to better understand the synaptic and integrative properties of the leg sensory-motor system, which has served extremely successfully as a model to study basic principles of walking and locomotion on the network level. The experiments were performed under biophysically controlled conditions on freshly dissociated leg motoneurons to avoid secondary effects from the network. To allow for unequivocal identification, the leg motoneurons were backfilled with a fluorescent label through the main leg nerve prior to cell dissociation. In 87% of the motoneurons, IAChconsisted of a fast-desensitizing (IACh1) and a slow-desensitizing component (IACh2), both of which were concentration dependent, with EC50values of 3.7 x 10–5and 2.0 x 10–5M, respectively. Ca2+imaging revealed that a considerable portion of IACh(∼18%) is carried by Ca2+, suggesting that IACh, besides mediating fast synaptic transmission, could also induce Ca2+-dependent processes. Using specific nicotinic and muscarinic acetylcholine receptor ligands, we showed that IAChwas exclusively mediated by nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Distinct concentration–response relations of IACh1and IACh2for these ligands indicated that they are mediated by different types of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insects possess adhesive organs that allow attachment to diverse surfaces. Efficient adhesion must be retained throughout their lifetime even when pads are exposed to contamination. Many insects groom their adhesive structures, but it is possible that self- cleaning properties also play an important role. We measured attachment forces of insect pads on glass after contamination with microspheres and found that both smooth pads (stick insects: Carausius morosus) and hairy pads (dock beetles: Gastrophysa viridula) exhibit self-cleaning. Contaminated pads recovered high levels of adhesion after only eight simulated steps; this was accompanied by the deposition of spheres. Self-cleaning was strongly enhanced by shear movements, and only beetle pads showed the ability to self-clean during purely perpendicular pull-offs. Hairy pads also self-cleaned more efficiently than smooth pads for both large (45μm) and small (1 μm) particle sizes. However, the beetles' self-cleaning was not superior to smooth pads when contaminated with 10-μm beads. This limitation of self-cleaning is explained by the coincidence of bead diameter and inter-seta distance, which caused beads to remain trapped in between setae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In insect walking systems, nonspiking interneurons (NSIs) play an important role in the control of posture and movement. As such NSIs are known to contribute to state-dependent modifications in processing of proprioceptive signals from the legs. For example, NSIs process a flexion of the femur-tibia (FTi) joint signaled by the femoral chordotonal organ (fCO) such that the stance phase motor output is reinforced in the active locomotor system. This phenomenon representing a reflex reversal is the first part of the "active reaction" (AR) and was hypothesized to functionally represent a major control feature by which sensory feedback supports stance generation. As NSIs are known to contribute to the AR, the question arises, whether they serve similar functions during stepping and whether the AR is generally part of the control system for walking. We studied these issues in vivo, in a single leg preparation of Carausius morosus with the leg kinematics being confined to changes in one plane, along the coxa-trochanteral and the FTi-joint. Following kinematic analysis, identified NSIs (E1-E8, I1, I2, and I4) were recorded intracellularly during single leg stepping at different velocities. We detected clear similarities between the activity pattern of NSIs during single leg stepping and their responses to fCO-stimulation during the generation of the AR. This strongly supports the notion that the motor output generated during the AR reflects part of the control regime for stepping. Furthermore, our experiments revealed that alterations in stepping velocity result from modifications in the activity of the premotor NSIs involved in stance phase generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We performed electrophysiological and behavioral experiments in single-leg preparations and intact animals of the stick insect Carausius morosus to understand mechanisms underlying the control of walking speed. At the level of the single leg, we found no significant correlation between stepping velocity and spike frequency of motor neurons (MNs) other than the previously shown modification in flexor (stance) MN activity. However, pauses between stance and swing motoneuron activity at the transition from stance to swing phase and stepping velocity are correlated. Pauses become shorter with increasing speed and completely disappear during fast stepping sequences. By means of extra- and intracellular recordings in single-leg stick insect preparations we found no systematic relationship between the velocity of a stepping front leg and the motoneuronal activity in the ipsi- or contralateral mesothoracic protractor and retractor, as well as flexor and extensor MNs. The observations on the lack of coordination of stepping velocity between legs in single-leg preparations were confirmed in behavioral experiments with intact stick insects tethered above a slippery surface, thereby effectively removing mechanical coupling through the ground. In this situation, there were again no systematic correlations between the stepping velocities of different legs, despite the finding that an increase in stepping velocity in a single front leg is correlated with a general increase in nerve activity in all connectives between the subesophageal and all thoracic ganglia. However, when the tethered animal increased walking speed due to a short tactile stimulus, provoking an escape-like response, stepping velocities of ipsilateral legs were found to be correlated for several steps. These results indicate that there is no permanent coordination of stepping velocities between legs, but that such coordination can be activated under certain circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Caloric restriction (CR) extends lifespan in most animals, but the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are the subject of much debate. We investigated the association between longevity and resting metabolic rate (RMR) in Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus) by (i) determining the appropriate scaling coefficient for calculating mass-corrected RMR of insects throughout development, (ii) quantifying the response of RMR to diet history, and (iii) correlating RMR in multiple life-history stages with adult and total lifespan. Over a range of body sizes, whole-body RMR (measured as oxygen consumption rate) scaled linearly with body mass. Mass-specific RMR decreased in response to CR, particularly when food was restricted during juvenile stages. With one exception, RMR of insects in different life-history stages matched current feeding level and was not substantially affected by intake history. Total lifespan was affected by intake, with insects that experienced CR early in development living longer than insects that were fed ad libitum. Although CR was associated with extended total lifespan and decreased RMR, it was also associated with shortened adult lifespan. Thus, we found limited evidence that decreased RMR plays a causative role in determining longevity. Instead, CR and decreased RMR were associated with slower progression through pre-reproductive life-history stages. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We investigated insects Carausius morosus walking whilst hanging upside down along a narrow 3 mm horizontal beam. At the end of the beam, the animal takes a 180° turn. This is a difficult situation because substrate area is small and moves relative to the body during the turn. We investigated how leg movements are organised during this turn. A non-contact of either front leg appears to indicate the end of the beam. However, a turn can only begin if the hind legs stand in an appropriate position relative to each other; the outer hind leg must not be placed posterior to the inner hind leg. When starting the turn, both front legs are lifted and usually held in a relatively stable position and then the inner middle leg performs a swing-and-search movement: The leg begins a swing, which is continued by a searching movement to the side and to the rear, and eventually grasps the beam. At the same time the body is turned usually being supported by the outer middle leg and both hind legs. Then front legs followed by the outer middle leg reach the beam. A scheme describing the turns based on a few simple behavioural elements is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insect ionic and fluid homeostasis relies upon the Malpighian tubules (MT) and different hindgut compartments. Primary urine formed in MTs is finally modified by ion, solute and water reabsorptive processes primarily in the hindgut under the control of several large peptide hormones. One of these, the ion transport peptide (ITP), is a chloride transport-stimulating and acid secretion-inhibiting hormone similar to crustacean hyperglycaemic hormones (CHHs). In locusts, moths and fruit flies, ITP together with the slightly longer ITPL isoforms, inactive in hindgut bioassays, arise by alternative splicing from very similar itp genes. ITP and ITPL are differentially distributed in (1) pars lateralis/retrocerebral complex neurosecretory cells (NSCs) containing both splice forms, (2) interneurons with either one of the splice forms, (3) hindgut-innervating abdominal ITP neurons (in Drosophila only), and (4) intrinsic, putative sensory NSCs in peripheral neurohaemal perisympatheticlperivisceral organs or transverse nerves (usually containing ITPL). Both splice forms occur as hormones released into the haemolymph in response to feeding or stress stimuli. ITPL mainly released from the peripheral NSCs is discussed as a competitive inhibitor (as established in vitro) of ITP action on yet to be identified hindgut ITP receptors. Furthermore, some evidence has been provided for possible ecdysis-related functions of ITP and/or ITPL in moths. The comparative data on the highly similar gene, precursor and primary structures and similar differential distributions in insect and crustacean NSCs suggest that CHH/ITP and ITPL neuropeptide-producing cells and their gene products share common phylogenetic ancestry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animals have evolved adhesive structures on their legs to cling to the substrate during locomotion. Here we characterise the ultrastructure and mechanical properties of adhesive pads in Carausius morosus (Phasmatodea) using atomic force microscopy (AFM) as well as transmission and scanning electron microscopy (TEM, SEM). The smooth adhesive arolium has a soft cuticle consisting of principal rods, which branch into finer fibres near the surface. Indentation experiments showed that the pad material consists of distinct layers with different mechanical properties. The 100–300 nm thick outermost layer consisting of the cuticulin envelope and the epicuticle is extremely soft and resilient (mean effective Young’s modulus 12 kPa), while the subjacent procuticle is a much stiffer material (mean effective Young’s modulus 625 kPa). AFM contact mode imaging revealed that the cuticle is mechanically anisotropic, which can be explained by its fibrillar inner structure. We propose that the described layered structure of smooth adhesive pads, consisting of materials decreasing in stiffness towards the outer surface, represents a superior design to conform and adhere to substrates with roughnesses at different length scales. This design principle could be easily implemented in technical adhesives, and thus has a potential to inspire biomimetic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hypertrehalosaemic hormone from the stick insect Carausius morosus ( Cam-HrTH) contains a hexose covalently bound to the ring of the tryptophan, which is in the eighth position in the molecule. We show by solution NMR spectroscopy that the tryptophan is modified at its Cδ1(C2) by an α-mannopyranose. It is the first insect hormone to exhibit C-glycosylation whose exact nature has been determined experimentally. Chemical shift analysis reveals that the unmodified as well as the mannosylated Cam-HrTH are not completely random-coil in aqueous solution. Most prominently, C-mannosylation strongly influences the average orientation of the tryptophan ring in solution and stabilizes it in a position clearly different from that found in the unmodified peptide. NMR diffusion measurements indicate that mannosylation reduces the effective hydrodynamic radius. It induces a change of the average peptide conformation that also diminishes the propensity for aggregation of the peptide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how nervous systems generate behavior requires understanding how muscles transform neural input into movement. The stick insect extensor tibiae muscle is an excellent system in which to study this issue because extensor motor neuron activity is highly variable during single leg walking and extensor muscles driven with this activity produce highly variable movements. We showed earlier that spike number, not frequency, codes for extensor amplitude during contraction rises, which implies the muscle acts as a slow filter on the time scale of burst interspike intervals (5–10 ms). We examine here muscle response to spiking variation over entire bursts, a time scale of hundreds of milliseconds, and directly measure muscle time constants. Muscle time constants differ during contraction and relaxation, and contraction time constants, although variable, are always extremely slow (200–700 ms). Models using these data show that extremely slow temporal filtering alone can explain much of the observed transform properties. This work also revealed an unexpected (to us) ability of slow filtering to transform steadily declining inputs into constant amplitude outputs. Examination of the effects of time constant variability on model output showed that variation within an SD primarily altered output amplitude, but variation across the entire range also altered contraction shape. These substantial changes suggest that understanding the basis of this variation is central to predicting extensor activity and that the animal could theoretically vary muscle time constant to match extensor response to changing behavioral need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A key element of walking is the coordinated interplay of multiple limbs to achieve a stable locomotor pattern that is adapted to the environment. We investigated intersegmental coordination of walking in the stick insect, Carausius morosus by examining the influence a single stepping leg has on the motoneural activity of the other hemiganglia, and whether this influence changes with the walking direction. We used a reduced single leg walking preparation with only one intact front, middle, or hind leg. The intact leg performed stepping movements on a treadmill, thus providing intersegmental signals about its stepping to the other hemiganglia. The activity of coxal motoneurons was simultaneously recorded extracellularly in all other segments. Stepping sequences of any given single leg in either walking direction were accompanied by an increase in coxal motoneuron (MN) activity of all other segments, which was mostly modulated and slightly in phase with stance of the walking leg. In addition, forward stepping of the front leg and, to a lesser extent, backward stepping of the hind leg elicited alternating activity in mesothoracic coxal MNs. Forward and backward stepping of the middle leg did not elicit alternating activity in coxal MNs in any other hemiganglia, indicating that the influence of middle leg stepping is qualitatively different from that of forward front and backward hind leg stepping. Our results indicate that in an insect walking system individual segments differ with respect to their intersegmental influences and thus cannot be treated as similar within the chain of segmental walking pattern generators. Consequences for the current concepts on intersegmental coordination are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many insects possess smooth adhesive pads on their legs, which adhere by thin films of a two-phasic secretion. To understand the function of such fluid-based adhesive systems, we simultaneously measured adhesion, friction and contact area in single pads of stick insects ( Carausius morosus). Shear stress was largely independent of normal force and increased with velocity, seemingly consistent with the viscosity-effect of a continuous fluid film. However, measurements of the remaining force 2 min after a sliding movement show that adhesive pads can sustain considerable static friction. Repeated sliding movements and multiple consecutive pull-offs to deplete adhesive secretion showed that on a smooth surface, friction and adhesion strongly increased with decreasing amount of fluid. In contrast, pull-off forces significantly decreased on a rough substrate. Thus, the secretion does not generally increase attachment but does so only on rough substrates, where it helps to maximize contact area. When slides were repeated at one position so that secretion could accumulate, sliding shear stress decreased but static friction remained clearly present. This suggests that static friction which is biologically important to prevent sliding is based on non-Newtonian properties of the adhesive emulsion rather than on a direct contact between the cuticle and the substrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All animals capable of legged locomotion execute fast, adaptive compensatory movements in response to perturbation of a step cycle. In terms of motor control, such adaptive behaviour typically involves changes in the kinematics of the perturbed limb as well as changes in coordination between legs. Moreover, the unpredictable variety of real life situations implies that compensatory responses should be sensitive to the behavioural context of the animal. We have investigated the extent to which the compensatory response of a walking stick insect (Carausius morosus) adapts in parallel to strong context-dependent adaptation of step kinematics and inter-leg coordination. The behavioural contexts we chose were straight walking and visually induced curve walking, for both of which the steady state limb kinematics and inter-leg coupling strengths were known. In case of curve walking, we further distinguished contexts according to whether the inner or the outer leg was perturbed. The three contexts differed strongly with respect to the set of joint actions before perturbation. Upon mechanical perturbation of front leg protraction, we studied context-dependent differences in a local avoidance reflex of the perturbed leg, as well as in coordination mechanisms that couple the step cycles of the perturbed leg to its unperturbed neighbours. In all three walking contexts, obstacle contact caused an avoidance movement of the front leg that deviated from the unperturbed swing trajectory. Swing duration was increased while step distance was decreased; however, both effects vanished in the subsequent unperturbed step. The prevailing immediate reaction of the three leg joints were retraction of the coxa (>76%), levation of the femur (>80%), and flexion of the tibia (>80%), regardless of the behavioural context and, therefore, joint action prior to perturbation. Moreover, activation of each one of these joint actions was shown to be independent of the other two. Thus, local avoidance reflexes are not modulated by the descending visual information that causes transition from straight to curve walking, but are composed of context-independent joint actions. Perturbation of the front leg also caused significant shifts of the touch-down position of the perturbed leg and of its unperturbed neighbours. If the inner front leg was perturbed, this shift could persist until the subsequent step. Perturbation affected both the spatial location and the timing of touch-down and lift-off transitions in unperturbed neighbouring legs. These effects on inter-leg coordination were context-dependent. For example, time delay to lift-off of the contralateral neighbour was shortened in inner and straight walking legs, but not in outer legs. Finally, a targeting mechanism that determines foot placement in stick insects was shown to be affected by perturbation in a context-dependent manner. We conclude that the immediate compensatory response of the perturbed leg is not adapted to the behavioural context in spite of strongly differing step kinematics, whereas the compensatory effect on inter-limb coupling is context-dependent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Appropriate coordination of stepping in adjacent legs is crucial for stable walking. Several leg coordination rules have been derived from behavioural experiments on walking insects, some of which also apply to arthropods with more than six legs and to four-legged walking vertebrates. Three of these rules affect the timing of stance-swing transition [rules 1 to 3 (sensu Cruse)]. They can give rise to normal leg coordination and adaptive responses to disturbances, as shown by kinematic simulations and dynamic hardware tests. In spite of their importance to the study of animal walking, the coupling strength associated with these rules has never been measured experimentally. Generally coupling strength of the underlying mechanisms has been considered constant rather than context-dependent. The present study analyses stepping patterns of the stick insect Carausius morosus during straight and curve walking sequences. To infer strength and efficacy of coupling between pairs of sender and receiver legs, the likelihood of the receiver leg being in swing is determined, given a certain delay relative to the time of a swing-stance (or stance-swing) transition in the sender leg. This is compared to a corresponding measure for independent,hence uncoupled, step sequences. The difference is defined as coupling strength. The ratio of coupling strength and its theoretical maximum is defined as efficacy. Irrespective of the coordination rule, coupling strength between ipsilateral leg pairs is at least twice that of contralaterai leg pairs, being strongest between ipsilateral hind and middle legs and weakest between contralateral middle legs. Efficacy is highest for inhibitory rule 1, reaching 84-95% for ipsilateral and 29-65% for contralateral leg pairs. Efficacy of excitatory rules 2 and 3 ranges between 35-56% for ipsilateral and 8-21% for contralateral leg pairs. The behavioural transition from straight to curve walking is associated with context-dependent changes in coupling strength, increasing in both outer leg pairs and decreasing between inner hind and middle leg. Thus, the coordination rules that are thought to underlie many adaptive properties of the walking system, themselves adapt in a context-dependent manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The control of locomotion requires the ability to adapt movement sequences to the behavioural context of the animal. In hexapod walking, adaptive behavioural transitions require orchestration of at least 18 leg joints and twice as many muscle groups. Although kinematics of locomotion has been studied in several arthropod species and in a range of different behaviours, almost nothing is known about the transition from one behavioural state to another. Implicitly, most studies on context-dependency assume that all parameters that undergo a change during a behavioural transition do so at the same rate. The present study tests this assumption by analysing the sequence of kinematic events during turning of the stick insect Carausius rnorosus, and by measuring how the time courses of the changing parameters differ between legs. Turning was triggered reliably at a known instant in time by means of the optomotor response to large-field visual motion. Thus, knowing the start point of the transition, the kinematic parameters that initiate turning could be ranked according to their time constants. Kinematics of stick insect walking vary considerably among trials and within trials. As a consequence, the behavioural states of straight walking and curve walking are described by the distributions of 13 kinematic parameters per leg and of orientation angles of head and antennae. The transitions between the behavioural states are then characterised by the fraction of the variance within states by which these distributions differ, and by the rate of change of the corresponding time courses. The antennal optomotor response leads that of the locomotor system. Visually elicited turning is shown to be initiated by stance direction changes of both front legs. The transition from straight to curve walking in stick insects follows different time courses for different legs, with time constants of kinematic parameters ranging from 1.7 s to more than 3 s. Therefore, turning is a behavioural transition that involves a characteristic orchestration of events rather than synchronous parallel actions with a single time constant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Locomotion requires the coordination of movements across body segments, which in walking animals is expressed as gaits. We studied the underlying neural mechanisms of this coordination in a semi-intact walking preparation of the stick insect Carausius morosus. During walking of a single front leg on a treadmill, leg motoneuron (MN) activity tonically increased and became rhythmically modulated in the ipsilateral deafferented and deefferented mesothoracic (middle leg) ganglion. The pattern of modulation was correlated with the front leg cycle and specific for a given MN pool, although it was not consistent with functional leg movements for all MN pools. In an isolated preparation of a pair of ganglia, where one ganglion was made rhythmically active by application of pilocarpine, we found no evidence for coupling between segmental central pattern generators (CPGs) that could account for the modulation of MN activity observed in the semi-intact walking preparation. However, a third preparation provided evidence that signals from the front leg's femoral chordotonal organ (fCO) influenced activity of ipsilateral MNs in the adjacent mesothoracic ganglion. These intersegmental signals could be partially responsible for the observed MN activity modulation during front leg walking. While afferent signals from a single walking front leg modulate the activity of MNs in the adjacent segment, additional afferent signals, local or from contralateral or posterior legs, might be necessary to produce the functional motor pattern observed in freely walking animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The ovarian follicular epithelium in insects is a polarized tissue sustaining vitellogenin uptake in growing oocytes. We studied this tissue in the stick insect Carausius morosus to establish how yolk polypeptides reach the oocyte. By confocal fluorescence analysis, follicle cells were shown to be polarized through differential distribution of cytoskeleton elements along opposite cell poles. Actin filaments were shown to prevail along the apical pole, whereas microtubules are much more numerous along the basal pole. Different labelling patterns were obtained when the follicular epithelium was tested with antibodies against either a vitellogenin polypeptide (mAb 1B12) or another 85kDa yolk protein (mAb 4G12) on cryostat sections. Follicle cells maintain such a polarization even when isolated or cultured in vitro. Under these latter conditions only the labelling pattern due to the 85kDa protein was retained in the follicle cell cytoplasm, suggesting that two different pathways are available in the follicular epithelium of stick insects: an intercellular pathway for the vitellogenin polypeptides and an intracellular one for the 85kDa protein. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper concentrates on the system that controls the femur-tibia joint in the legs of the stick insect,Carausius morosus. Earlier investigations have shown that this joint is subject to a mixture of proportional and differential control whereby the differential part plays a prominent role. Experiments presented here suggest another interpretation: single legs of a stick insect were systematically perturbed using devices of different compliance and compensatory forces and movements monitored. When the compliance is high (soft spring), forces are generated that return the leg close to its original position. When the compliance is low (stiff spring), larger forces are generated but sustained changes in position occur that are proportional to the force that is applied. Selective ablation of leg sense organs showed that the leg did not maintain its position after elimination of afferents of the femoral chordotonal organ. Ablation of leg campaniform sensilla had no effect. These data support the idea that different control strategies are used, depending upon substrate compliance. In particular, what we and other authors have called a differential controller, is now considered as an integral controller that “intelligently gives up” when the correlation between motor output and movement of the leg is low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitellin polypeptides are proteolytically processed in ovarian follicles and embryos of the stick insect Carausius morosus. Data show that vitellin polypeptide A3 of 54 kDa is processed to yield polypeptide A3&ast; of about 48 kDa upon completion of ovarian development, whereas vitellin polypeptide A2 of 90 kDa yields polypeptide E9 during embryonic development. As vitellin polypeptides are processed, polypeptides A3&ast; and E9 are transferred from the yolk granules to the cytosolic space of the vitellophages and start to express a ubiquitin reactivity. At the confocal microscope, anti-ubiquitin antibodies label specifically numerous small yolk granules and the cytosolic space of vitellophages. During embryonic development, ubiquitin carrying granules undergo acidification in much the same way as larger yolk granules. However, only these latter organelles are capable of converting a latent cysteine pro-protease into an active yolk protease upon acidification of their luminal space. These data are interpreted as indicating that ubiquitin-like polypeptides are restricted to small granules throughout ovarian and embryonic development, and that vitellin cleavage products are ubiquitinated following acidification of large yolk granules and transfer to the cytosolic space of the vitellophages. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A panel of monoclonal antibodies was raised against late yolk sacs of the stick insect Carausius morosus and tested by immunoblotting to establish the extent vitellin polypeptides are processed proteolytically during embryonic development. Cryosections of late yolk sacs were also examined by confocal laser microscopy to determine how vitellin cleavage products become spatially distributed amongst yolk granules during the same developmental period. Distinct labelling patterns were obtained on yolk granules depending on: (1) the nature of the proteolytic processing; (2) the origin of vitellin cleavage products; and ultimately (3) their molecular sizes. Monoclonal antibodies raised against vitellin cleavage products resulting from proteolytic processing appeared to label: (1) the entire volume of many yolk granules; (2) their limiting membrane; or (3) a number of small vesicles interposed between larger yolk granules. On the other hand, monoclonal antibodies against vitellin cleavage products that remain invariant throughout development appeared to label either the serosa membrane or the cytosolic space comprised between adjacent yolk granules. Data are interpreted as indicating that vitellin cleavage products may leak out from the yolk granules, gain access to the cytosolic space of the vitellophages and eventually percolate through the serosa membrane enclosing the yolk sac. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The aim of this work was to investigate the olfactory system of the walking stick insect, Carausius morosus. Morphological, ultrastructural and immunocytochemical studies of adult female antennae were conducted by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Extensive cross-section series were made through the last antennal segment to define the cuticular apparatus, wall pore distribution and the number of innervating receptor neurons of each sensillum type. Single-walled wall pore sensilla occur in three subtypes: (i) with 27 or 28 branched receptor neurons, (ii) with two branched neurons and (iii) with one or two unbranched neurons, respectively. Double-walled wall pore sensilla were found in two subtypes with spoke channels, one with four unbranched neurons, the other with two unbranched neurons. One terminal pore sensillum was found, showing two cavities within the hair and being innervated by six sensory cells. Immunocytochemical experiments were performed to show the localization of a 19 kDa soluble protein found in the chemosensory organs of C. morosus. This protein shows an amino acid sequence homologous to the family of chemosensory proteins (CSP). The polyclonal antibody raised against the purified protein (CSP-cmA) showed, for the first time in CSPs, a strong labeling in olfactory sensilla, specifically in the sensillum lymph surrounding the dendritic branches of SW-WP sensilla and in the uninnervated lumen between the two concentric walls of DW-WP type 1 sensilla. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In mid-embryogenesis, the stick insect Carausius morosus comes to be comprised of three distinct districts: the embryo proper, the yolk sac and the perivitelline fluid. A monolayered epithelium, the so-called serosa membrane, encloses the yolk sac and its content of vitellophages and large yolk granules. During embryonic development, the yolk sac declines gradually in protein concentration due to Vt polypeptides undergoing limited proteolysis to yield a number of Vt cleavage products of lower molecular weights. mAbs 1D1 and 5H11 are monoclonal antibodies raised against some of the Vt cleavage products generated by this process in the yolk sac. At the confocal microscope, antibody fluorescence is initially associated with a few yolk granules, while it is gradually displaced in the cytosolic spaces of the vitellophages. With the proceeding of embryonic development, label appears also in the serosa membrane in the form of clustered dots. At the ultrastructural level, gold particles are initially associated with the vitellophages that are labeled on a few yolk granules and in the cytosolic space flanking the yolk granules. Subsequently, the serosa cells become labeled on vesicles close to the yolk granules or just underneath the plasma membrane. Inside the serosa cells, label is also associated with granules budding from the Golgi apparatus, but never with the intercellular channels percolating the serosa membrane. These observations are interpreted as indicating that Vt cleavage products leak out from the yolk granules into the cytosolic spaces of the vitellophages and are eventually transferred to the perivitelline fluid via transcytosis through the serosa cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Makes observations on the stereotypic leg searching movements in the stick insect Carausius morosus. Searching movements of front legs; Effect of visual input on search movements; Coordination of joint angles during front leg searching; Simultaneous antennal searching; Differences between front, middle and hind leg searching movements.

Studies the locomotor system of slowly walking insects, such as Carausius morosus. Problems with the control system generating animal leg movements; Control of the swing movement.

The stick insect Carausius morosus continuously moves its antennae during locomotion. Active antennal movements may reflect employment of antennae as tactile probes. Therefore, this study treats two basic aspects of the antennal motor system: First, the anatomy of antennal joints, muscles, nerves and motoneurons is described and discussed in comparison with other species. Second, the typical movement pattern of the antennae is analysed, and its spatio-temporal coordination with leg movements described. Each antenna is moved by two single-axis hinge joints. The proximal head-scape joint is controlled by two levator muscles and a three-partite depressor muscle. The distal scape-pedicel joint is controlled by an antagonistic abductor/adductor pair. Three nerves innervate the antennal musculature, containing axons of 14–17 motoneurons, including one common inhibitor. During walking, the pattern of antennal movement is rhythmic and spatio-temporally coupled with leg movements. The antennal abduction/adduction cycle leads the protraction/retraction cycle of the ipsilateral front leg with a stable phase shift. During one abduction/adduction cycle there are typically two levation/depression cycles, however, with less strict temporal coupling than the horizontal component. Predictions of antennal contacts with square obstacles to occur before leg contacts match behavioural performance, indicating a potential role of active antennal movements in obstacle detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract. Using tools from discrete dynamical systems theory, we begin a systematic analysis of a distributed model of leg coordination with both biological and robotic applications. In this paper, we clarify the role of individual coordination mechanisms by studying a system of two leg oscillators coupled in one direction by each of the three major mechanisms that have been described for the stick insect Carausius morosus. For each mechanism, we derive analytical return maps, and analyze the behavior of these return maps under iteration in order to determine the asymptotic phase relationship between the two legs. We also derive asymptotic relative phase densities for each mechanism and compare these densities to those obtained from numerical simulations of the model. Our analysis demonstrates that, although each of these mechanisms can individually compress a range of initial conditions into a narrow band of relative phase, this asymptotic relative phase relationship is, in general, only neutrally stable. We also show that the nonlinear dependence of relative phase on walking speed along the body in the full hexapod model can be explained by our analysis. Finally, we provide detailed parameter charts of the range of behavior that each mechanism can produce as coupling strength and walking speed are varied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

First instars of Carausius morosus provide a good model for morphometric evaluation of the diffusing capacity between the tracheal system and hemolymph: air sacs are lacking, tracheoles do not penetrate the organs and muscles, and entire animals can be evaluated electron microscopically without subsampling. The tracheal volume makes up 1.3% of the volume of the whole insect excluding appendages. We calculated the lateral diffusing capacity for oxygen and carbon dioxide for five classes of tracheae according to their diameters, from 0.2 ... to 35.... The harmonic mean thickness of the tracheal epitheluim is lowest in smallest tracheae and increases with increasing tracheal diameter. Although the smallest tracheae make up 70% (O2) and 60% (CO2) of the total diffusing capacity, the proximal four classes may also be significant in diffusion of oxygen and particularly of carbon dioxide. The suppression of the development of respiratory pigments in the evolution of terrestrial insects may have increased the relative importance of small tracheal elements for local oxygen consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]