TY - JOUR TI - Neuronal morphologies built for reliable physiology in a rhythmic motor circuit AU - Otopalik, Adriane G AU - Pipkin, Jason AU - Marder, Eve A2 - Slutsky, Inna A2 - Calabrese, Ronald L VL - 8 PY - 2019 DA - 2019/01/18 SP - e41728 C1 - eLife 2019;8:e41728 DO - 10.7554/eLife.41728 UR - https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.41728 AB - It is often assumed that highly-branched neuronal structures perform compartmentalized computations. However, previously we showed that the Gastric Mill (GM) neuron in the crustacean stomatogastric ganglion (STG) operates like a single electrotonic compartment, despite having thousands of branch points and total cable length >10 mm (Otopalik et al., 2017a; 2017b). Here we show that compact electrotonic architecture is generalizable to other STG neuron types, and that these neurons present direction-insensitive, linear voltage integration, suggesting they pool synaptic inputs across their neuronal structures. We also show, using simulations of 720 cable models spanning a broad range of geometries and passive properties, that compact electrotonus, linear integration, and directional insensitivity in STG neurons arise from their neurite geometries (diameters tapering from 10-20 µm to < 2 µm at their terminal tips). A broad parameter search reveals multiple morphological and biophysical solutions for achieving different degrees of passive electrotonic decrement and computational strategies in the absence of active properties. KW - cancer borealis KW - stomatogastric ganglion KW - variability KW - electrotonus KW - voltage Integration JF - eLife SN - 2050-084X PB - eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd ER -