Lobster Attack Induces Sensitization in the Sea Hare, Aplysia californica
Lobster Attack Induces Sensitization in the Sea Hare, Aplysia californica
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DOI：
10.1523/jneurosci.1317-10.2010
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发表时间：
2010-08-18
影响因子：
5.3
通讯作者：
Wright, William G.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Watkins, Amanda J.;Goldstein, Daniel A.;Wright, William G.
学习的神经机制的研究，特别是致敏作用的研究，得益于对模式物种加利福尼亚小灰杉（以下简称小灰杉）的广泛研究。考虑到这卷关于机制的文献，令人惊讶的是，我们对澳大利亚致敏的生态背景的理解是完全缺乏的。事实上，广泛使用强电击来诱导敏化（在有害刺激后增强退缩反射）是完全不自然的，并且没有回答这种简单的学习形式是否有任何生态相关性的问题。我们假设，同时发生的掠食者——多刺龙虾（Panulirus interruptus）的亚致命攻击可能是一种天然的致敏刺激。我们测试了在被龙虾攻击之前和之后，个体的尾套和头部的反射性退缩。龙虾攻击显著增加了两种反射的振幅，其时间开始与电击观察到的密切匹配。这一结果表明，电击可能确实模仿了至少一种自然发生的敏感刺激，这是第一次表明，这种学习形式的生态背景得到了充分的研究。
Studies of the neural mechanisms of learning, especially of sensitization, have benefitted from extensive research on the model species, Aplysia californica (hereafter Aplysia). Considering this volume of literature on mechanisms, it is surprising that our understanding of the ecological context of sensitization in Aplysia is completely lacking. Indeed, the widespread use of strong electric shock to induce sensitization (an enhancement of withdrawal reflexes following noxious stimulation) is completely unnatural and leaves unanswered the question of whether this simple form of learning has any ecological relevance. We hypothesized that sublethal attack by a co-occurring predator, the spiny lobster, Panulirus interruptus, might be a natural sensitizing stimulus. We tested reflex withdrawal of the tail-mantle and head of individual Aplysia before and after attack by lobsters. Lobster attack significantly increased the amplitude of both reflexes, with a temporal onset that closely matched that observed with electric shock. This result suggests that electric shock may indeed mimic at least one naturally occurring sensitizing stimulus, suggesting, for the first time, an ecological context for this well studied form of learning.