Diffuse pacemaker mechanism with distinctive organization drives pulsation in the octocoral Xenia umbellata

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 122, Number 46, November 2025.
ImportanceCentral pattern generators or pacemakers are small autonomous neural circuits that control rhythmic movement in bilaterian animal phyla, as well as in cnidarians. In this study, we identified a unique diffuse pacemaker system controlling the…