Age‐dependent behavioral changes and physiological changes in identified neurons in <i>Aplysia californica</i>

Rattan, K.S.; Peretz, Bertram

doi:10.1002/neu.480120506

Cited by 47 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…The results here and those of Rattan and Peretz (1981) have begun to identify anatomical, physiological, and behavioral characteristics of aging in Aplysia. Plasticity in the nervous system apparently occurs throughout the life of Aplysia and is not restricted to developmental and maturational stages.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 73%

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Age‐dependent anatomical changes in an identified neuron in the cns of Aplysia californica

et al. 1981

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Neurons of Aplysia californica are naturally pigmented and the pigment accumulates with age. In the present study the pigment was examined in the same neuron from Aplysia of three postmetamorphic ages: young, sexually mature, and old. The large central neuron, R2, was examined by light and electron microscopy to determine if the pigment possessed properties similar to lipofuscin pigment seen in aging mammalian neurons. We used the same microscopic techniques that demonstrate the presence of lipofuscin in mammalian neurons. Light microscopic studies demonstrated a regional correlation between autofluorescence, staining with Sudan Black, and the naturally occurring pigment in old R2s. Electron microscopic studies revealed the presence of large vacuolated and lamellated membrane-bound bodies in the peripheral cytoplasm of old R2s, similar to those found in mammalian neurons. The bodies were located in the same region in which autofluorescence and Sudan Black staining were observed. Although the naturally occurring pigment accumulates with age, it acquires characteristics of lipofuscin pigment in the neurons of older sexually mature animals. The presence of these pigment characteristics can be used as an index of aging in Aplysia neurons as they are in mammalian neurons.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 73%

“…and another identified neuron in Aplysia. The results in both reports will serve as baseline data for future studies on the age-dependent changes of neuronal anatomy and physiology and their effect on function (e.g., Rattan and Peretz, 1981;Peretz et al, 1980). Preliminary results of this work have been given elsewhere Peretz et al, 1979).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 83%

Age‐dependent anatomical changes in an identified neuron in the cns of Aplysia californica

et al. 1981

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“…Approximately 80% of the life span then is spent in the adult form. The Aplysia nervous system is comprised of neurons of known function that can be identified in different aged animals (8)(9)(10). The neurons in the adult form and the behaviors they mediate have been most studied.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…With increased age the stimulus threshold to elicit the reflex was greater than in either young or mature animals, and the reflex amplitude was reduced and the rate of habituation was faster than that in mature animals (9). More recently, longterm habituation was shown to be impaired in older Aplysia (11).…”

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confidence: 99%

Functional history of two motor neurons and the morphometry of their neuromuscular junctions in the gill of Aplysia: evidence for differential aging.

Peretz¹,

Romanenko²,

Markesbery³

1984

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Because the viability of the gill withdrawal reflex is dependent on age in Aplysia, we examined physiologic and morphometric properties of two motor neurons, L7 and LDG1, involved in the reflex in three postmetamorphic age groups: young, mature, and old. L7's capability to elicit pinnule contraction, a major component of the reflex, was reduced markedly in old gills; facilitation at old L7 terminals, upon which contraction is dependent, was significantly reduced. The morphology of the pinnule neuromuscular junctions changed with increased age. In contrast, LDG1's capability to elicit efferent vessel contraction, a major component of respiratory movements, was not significantly altered by age; facilitation also was relatively unaffected; and morphologic changes at neuromuscular junctions were poorly correlated with age. Aging occurs differentially in two motor neurons innervating the gill. The dissimilarity in function and in frequency of activation of L7 and LDG1 may help explain the greater vulnerability of L7 to the effects of aging. The possibility that disuse is involved in the aging process is discussed.Studies of the aging nervous system tend to describe putative degenerative changes, yet not all central nervous system neurons show age-dependent morphological and biochemical changes (1-4). These findings suggest that aging occurs differentially in the central nervous system and that functional differences exist between "aging" and "non-aging" neurons. The behavioral consequences of morphological and of functional alterations with age at the cellular level remain to be demonstrated.Theories of cellular aging can be tested in Aplysia by investigating the neural substrates of well-defined behavior.Aplysia have a life span of 12-14 months (5, 6), with developmental stages being ca. 45 days (7), after which they metamorphose into the adult form. Approximately 80% of the life span then is spent in the adult form. The Aplysia nervous system is comprised of neurons of known function that can be identified in different aged animals (8-10). The neurons in the adult form and the behaviors they mediate have been most studied.In Aplysia, underlying studies of behavioral plasticity and its neural substrates has been the assumption that they are unaffected by age during postmetamorphic life. Recent studies, however, showed that central nervous system control of the gill withdrawal reflex and habituation of the reflex changed with increasing age. In young animals, muscle contraction during the reflex was greater and the rate of habituation was slower than that in mature animals (8,10). Also, the young central nervous system failed to regulate the rate of habituation in response to varying stimulus strength (8).With increased age the stimulus threshold to elicit the reflex was greater than in either young or mature animals, and the reflex amplitude was reduced and the rate of habituation was faster than that in mature animals (9). More recently, longterm habituation was shown to be impaired in older Aplysia (11). N...

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“…Rankin and Carew 1989;Nolen and Carew 1994) or to short-term memory (e.g. Beck and Rankin 1993;Rattan and Peretz 1981) but not to longterm memory.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Age-related deficits of long-term memory in the crab Chasmagnathus

1996

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Short-and long-term memory in adult crabsChasmagnathus 9ranulatus of different age are evaluated in two learning paradigms: habituation to a visual danger stimulus and appetitive conditioning. No difference between young, middle-aged and aged animals is found in short-term habituation with 15 training trials. A good level of retention of the habituated response at 24 h is exhibited by young and middle-aged crabs but a poor one by aged crabs. When the training-to-testing interval is lengthened to 48 h or the training session reduced to 7 trials, young and middle-aged crabs continue to show long-term habituation but aged individuals exhibit no retention at all. As regards appetitive conditioning, young, middle-aged and aged crabs present similar short-term memory with 5 training trials and similar long-term memory when tested at 24 h, but an age-related deficit in long-term retention is exhibited when the intersession interval is lengthened to 48 h or the training reduced to 3 trials. Thus, a reduction of long-term memory related to age is demonstrated in the crab Chasmagnathus. Since it is shown in two different learning paradigms, the possibility of explaining the deficit in terms of a failure in memory mechanisms due to aging rather than as a consequence of ontogenetic shift in the crab's behavior is discussed.

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Age‐dependent behavioral changes and physiological changes in identified neurons in Aplysia californica

Cited by 47 publications

References 14 publications

Age‐dependent anatomical changes in an identified neuron in the cns of Aplysia californica

Age‐dependent anatomical changes in an identified neuron in the cns of Aplysia californica

Functional history of two motor neurons and the morphometry of their neuromuscular junctions in the gill of Aplysia: evidence for differential aging.

Age-related deficits of long-term memory in the crab Chasmagnathus

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