weak electrical coupling creates the splay state (ordered, but unsynchronized firing pattern). Typically, the DLM motor neurons fire one after another in quick succession, for example 1234, or 1432, etc. Without gap junctions, the motor neurons have unpatterned and uncoordinated activity. Each individual neuron has a stable firing frequency but they do not line up with each other.
knockdown of gap junctions (like shakB) results in MN spikes in every phase of each other (completely desynchronized). over expression of gap junctions results in complete synchrony (only firing in phase with each other)
