ASn is a set of eleven motoneurons, with cell bodies in the ventral
cord, which innervate dorsal muscles. A typical ASn (e.g. AS3
(e)) has rather short processes in the ventral cord on either side of
its cell body. These are exclusively postsynaptic and receive
synaptic input from AVB (*c), AVA (*e) and AVD
(*d). In addition AS1 to AS3 receive some synaptic
input from AVE (*r). There are often gap junctions to
AVA (c) and VAn (d) in this region also. The anterior process
(except AS11 (f)) leaves the ventral cord and runs round to the
dorsal cord as a commissure (b). All eleven ASn commissures run round
the right-hand side of the body. The process or an ASn turns and runs
anteriorly in the dorsal cord, running for part or the time adjacent
to the basal lamina. There are dyadic NMJs in this region with VDn
being the corecipient (a and figure 19). The processes of ASn in the
dorsal cord are similar to those of DAn except that they are shorter
and have fewer NMJs. Magnifications: (a, c, d) x 25500, (b) x 17000.
Web adaptation, Thomas Boulin,
for Wormatlas, 2001, 2002
