The bag cell neurons of Aplysia. A model for the study of the molecular mechanisms involved in the control of prolonged animal behaviors.

Egg laying in Aplysia involves a well-characterized series of behaviors that can last for several hours. The behaviors are controlled by two bilateral clusters of peptidergic neurons in the abdominal ganglion. Following brief stimulation, these neurons, which have been termed the bag cell neurons, undergo a sequence of changes in their excitability lasting many hours. The bag cell neurons have served as a model system for studying the molecular mechanisms involved in the synthesis, processing, and release of neuroactive peptides and in the regulation of prolonged changes in neuronal excitability.