Abstract
The aim of our study was to understand functional significance of spontaneous oscillations of local field potential in the olfactory brain lobe of terrestrial snail, the procerebrum (PC). We compared changes in frequency of oscillations in semi-intact preparations from snails trained to percept the same conditioned odor as positive (associated with food reinforcement) or negative (associated with noxious reinforcement). In vivo recordings in freely behaving naïve snails showed a significant decrease of spontaneous PC oscillations frequency during a stage of tentacle withdrawal to odor presentation. In in vitro preparations from naïve snails, a similar decrease in frequency of the PC oscillations to odor presentation was observed. Changes in frequency of the oscillations to cineole presentations in the “aversive” group of snails (demonstrating withdrawal) were much more pronounced than in naïve snails. No significant difference in responses to 5% and 20% cineole was noted. Changes in the spontaneous oscillations frequency in the snails trained to respond with positive reaction (approach) to cineole depended on the concentration of the applied odor, and these responses were qualitatively similar to responses of other groups during the first 10 s of responses to odor, but significantly different (increase in PC oscillations frequency) from the responses of the aversively trained and naïve snails in the interval 11–30 s, which corresponds to the end of the tentacle withdrawal and timing of decision making (approach or escape) in the free behaving snails. Obtained results suggest that frequency of the PC lobe spontaneous oscillations correlate to the choice of behavior in snails: withdrawal (decrease in frequency) or approach (increase in frequency) to the source of odor.
Highlights
Olfaction in terrestrial gastropod mollusks is an important sensory modality for locating and differentiating odors during feeding and orientation
The PC lobe in terrestrial snails and slugs spontaneously produces a periodic slow oscillations of local field potential (Gelperin and Tank, 1990; Chase and Tolloczko, 1993; Kleinfeld et al, 1994; Nikitin and Balaban, 1999, 2000)
Oscillatory neuronal activity is common in the olfactory system of both vertebrates (Gray and Skinner, 1988; Laurent and Davidowitz, 1994; Dorries and Kauer, 2000; Lam et al, 2000) and invertebrates (Mellon and Wheller, 1999; Wehr and Laurent, 1999; Nikitin and Balaban, 2005)
Summary
Olfaction in terrestrial gastropod mollusks (snails and slugs) is an important sensory modality for locating and differentiating odors during feeding and orientation. Oscillatory neuronal activity is common in the olfactory system of both vertebrates (Gray and Skinner, 1988; Laurent and Davidowitz, 1994; Dorries and Kauer, 2000; Lam et al, 2000) and invertebrates (Mellon and Wheller, 1999; Wehr and Laurent, 1999; Nikitin and Balaban, 2005). The role of these oscillations in mechanisms of odor perception and discrimination, is yet unclear
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