Mechanism for Food Avoidance Learning in the Central Pattern Generator of Feeding Behavior of Pleurobranchaea californica

Food-avoidance conditioning in the mollusk Pleurobranchaea results in suppression of the feeding response to food stimuli. In conditioned animals, identified interneurons of the central pattern generator (CPG) for feeding behavior, the Int-2s, respond to a food stimulus with greater and more long-la...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 83; no. 11; pp. 4058 - 4062
Main Authors London, Jill A., Gillette, Rhanor
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Washington, DC National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 01.06.1986
Subjects
Animal feeding behavior
Biological and medical sciences
Brain
Depolarization
Experimentation
Food
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Interneurons
Invertebrates
Learning
Mental stimulation
Mollusca
Neurons
Physiology. Development
Retractors
Learning
Response
Modification
Stimulus
Feeding behavior
Animal
Suppression
Conditioning
Invertebrata
Mollusca
Avoidance
Food
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Summary:Food-avoidance conditioning in the mollusk Pleurobranchaea results in suppression of the feeding response to food stimuli. In conditioned animals, identified interneurons of the central pattern generator (CPG) for feeding behavior, the Int-2s, respond to a food stimulus with greater and more long-lasting excitation than controls. Enhanced Int-2 responsiveness to food stimuli is associated with markedly heightened Int-2 excitability. Sustained activity in the Int-2s arrests motor output of the oscillatory CPG in the protraction/retraction movement cycle of feeding through tonic excitation of a population of retractor interneurons and inhibition of protractors. The CPG locus of the learning mechanism is permissive of sensory excitation of alternative behavior and leaves the possibility open for release of the suppressed behavior in a fully aroused state.
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.83.11.4058