Intracellular characterization of neurons in the locust brain signaling impending collision.

1. In response to a rapidly approaching object, intracellular recordings show that excitation in the locust lobula giant movement detecting (LGMD) neuron builds up exponentially, particularly during the final stages of object approach. After the cessation of object motion, inhibitory potentials in the LGMD then help to terminate this excitation. Excitation in the LGMD follows object recession with a short, constant latency but is cut back rapidly by hyperpolarizing potentials. The timing of these hyperpolarizing potentials in the LGMD is variable, and their latency following object recession is shortest with the highest velocities of motion simulated. The hyperpolarizing potentials last from 50-300 ms and are often followed by re-excitation. The observed hyperpolarizations of the LGMD can occur without any preceding excitation and are accompanied by a measurable conductance increase. The hyperpolarizations are likely to be inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (PSPs). The behavior of the intracellularly recorded inhibitory PSPs (IPSPs) closely parallels that of the feed forward inhibitory loop in the neural network described by Rind and Bramwell. 2. The preference of the LGMD for approaching versus receding objects remains over a wide range of starting and finishing distances. The response to object approach, measured both as membrane potential and spike rate, remains single peaked with starting distances of between 200 and 2,100 mm, and approach speeds of 0.5-2 m/s. These results confirm the behavior predicted by the neural network described by Rind and Bramwell but contradicts the findings of Rind and Simmons, forcing a re-evaluation of the suitability of some of the mechanical visual stimuli used in that study. 3. For depolarization of the LGMD neuron to be maintained or increased throughout the motion of image edges, the edges must move with increasing velocity over the eye. Membrane potential declines before the end of edge motion with constant velocities of edge motion. 4. A second identified neuron, the LGMD2 also is shown to respond directionally to approaching objects. In both the LGMD and LGMD2 neurons, postsynaptic inhibition shapes the directional response to object motion.