Recently a study from Ryszard Maleszka’s Lab demonstrates that DNA methylation does play a role in the acquisition of memory and mediates the resistance of this memory to extinction in honeybees (Lockett et al 2010). Now the group of Paul Szyszka in Konstanz provides additional information about the role of DNA methylation in the formation […]
Archiv der Kategorie 'Invertebrate Neuroscience'
Dopaminergic Modulation of Sucrose Acceptance Behavior in Drosophila
Prof. Jochen Pflüger will present the following paper on Monday (17/04): Marella, S., Mann, K., & Scott, K. (2012). Dopaminergic Modulation of Sucrose Acceptance Behavior in Drosophila Neuron, 73 (5), 941-950 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2011.12.032
Coincident firing of neurons can specify a synapse for later modulation
Yet another fascinating Nature article from the research group around Gilles Laurent. This article is built around the mechanisms underlying associative learning and plasticity in the mushroom bodies in insects. The area is known to be crucial for associative learning of odors and contains up to hundreds of thousands of neurons called Kenyon cells. Here […]
The Role of experience in flight behaviour of Drosophila
This study illustrates the requirement of training and exercise in executing successful fine motor skills in the invertebrates.Fruit fly Drosophila groups reared and grown in two different fly chambers ,one allows free flight movement and other restricted flight movement were tested for various flight kinematics in free flight arena and tethered flight simulator.Overall performance of […]
Critical role for protein kinase A in the acquisition of gregarious behavior in the desert locust
Posted on behalf of Hans-Joachim Pflüger: In the article by Ott et al. the role of two protein kinases (PK) in the population density dependent transition from solitarious to gregarious animals is investigated. Only gregarious locusts form large swarms that are harmful for agriculture. The foraging gene product, a cGMP-dependent PK (PKG), implicated in foraging, […]
Molecular computer models enhance learning and memory
Posted on behalf of Benjamin Paffhausen: The authors studied long term sensitization of the withdrawal reflex in Aplysia, which is an example of long term memory (LTM). Previous findings suggested that activation of protein kinase A (PKA) and extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) lead to long term facilitation (LTF), a form of LTM. PKA and […]
Operant and classical conditioning in the same neuron
The marine snail Aplysia is perhaps best known for its Nobel-award-winning learning ability. In the classic work, a small water jet to the body of the animal was paired with electric shock to accomplish classical (or Pavlovian) conditioning. Since about the 1930s, it has been a longstanding debate among psychologists whether classical and operant conditioning […]
Effects of appetitive and nonappetitive odors on feeding behavior and on level of biogenic amines
A short communication was published in November 2011 (Neurobiologie) based on a study from 2005 (Journal of Neuroscience). In the blowfly Phormia regina, the authors investigated the effect on PER when flies are (pre-) exposed to odors. They found that feeding threshold to sugar increased in the presence of the repellent D-limonene and decreased in […]
serotonin necessary for ARM memory phase
In a not so recent paper (January 2011), a nice report by Ann-Shyn Chiang group was published in PNAS. Authors use both pharmacology and genetic trick to show that serotonin is involved in an aversive olfactory memory phase called ARM. Serotonin seems released by the DPM neuron (together with the amnesiac neuropeptide?), and the information […]
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