Functional changes in the snail statocyst system elicited by microgravity.

<h4>Background</h4>The mollusk statocyst is a mechanosensing organ detecting the animal's orientation with respect to gravity. This system has clear similarities to its vertebrate counterparts: a weight-lending mass, an epithelial layer containing small supporting cells and the larg...

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Autores principales: Pavel M Balaban, Aleksey Y Malyshev, Victor N Ierusalimsky, Nikolay Aseyev, Tania A Korshunova, Natasha I Bravarenko, M S Lemak, Matvey Roshchin, Igor S Zakharov, Yekaterina Popova, Richard Boyle
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Publicado: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2011
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spelling oai:doaj.org-article:12023827bd5b46059c67d793c1e876be2021-11-18T06:56:36ZFunctional changes in the snail statocyst system elicited by microgravity.1932-620310.1371/journal.pone.0017710https://doaj.org/article/12023827bd5b46059c67d793c1e876be2011-03-01T00:00:00Zhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmid/21479267/pdf/?tool=EBIhttps://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203<h4>Background</h4>The mollusk statocyst is a mechanosensing organ detecting the animal's orientation with respect to gravity. This system has clear similarities to its vertebrate counterparts: a weight-lending mass, an epithelial layer containing small supporting cells and the large sensory hair cells, and an output eliciting compensatory body reflexes to perturbations.<h4>Methodology/principal findings</h4>In terrestrial gastropod snail we studied the impact of 16- (Foton M-2) and 12-day (Foton M-3) exposure to microgravity in unmanned orbital missions on: (i) the whole animal behavior (Helix lucorum L.), (ii) the statoreceptor responses to tilt in an isolated neural preparation (Helix lucorum L.), and (iii) the differential expression of the Helix pedal peptide (HPep) and the tetrapeptide FMRFamide genes in neural structures (Helix aspersa L.). Experiments were performed 13-42 hours after return to Earth. Latency of body re-orientation to sudden 90° head-down pitch was significantly reduced in postflight snails indicating an enhanced negative gravitaxis response. Statoreceptor responses to tilt in postflight snails were independent of motion direction, in contrast to a directional preference observed in control animals. Positive relation between tilt velocity and firing rate was observed in both control and postflight snails, but the response magnitude was significantly larger in postflight snails indicating an enhanced sensitivity to acceleration. A significant increase in mRNA expression of the gene encoding HPep, a peptide linked to ciliary beating, in statoreceptors was observed in postflight snails; no differential expression of the gene encoding FMRFamide, a possible neurotransmission modulator, was observed.<h4>Conclusions/significance</h4>Upregulation of statocyst function in snails following microgravity exposure parallels that observed in vertebrates suggesting fundamental principles underlie gravi-sensing and the organism's ability to adapt to gravity changes. This simple animal model offers the possibility to describe general subcellular mechanisms of nervous system's response to conditions on Earth and in space.Pavel M BalabanAleksey Y MalyshevVictor N IerusalimskyNikolay AseyevTania A KorshunovaNatasha I BravarenkoM S LemakMatvey RoshchinIgor S ZakharovYekaterina PopovaRichard BoylePublic Library of Science (PLoS)articleMedicineRScienceQENPLoS ONE, Vol 6, Iss 3, p e17710 (2011)
institution DOAJ
collection DOAJ
language EN
topic Medicine
R
Science
Q
spellingShingle Medicine
R
Science
Q
Pavel M Balaban
Aleksey Y Malyshev
Victor N Ierusalimsky
Nikolay Aseyev
Tania A Korshunova
Natasha I Bravarenko
M S Lemak
Matvey Roshchin
Igor S Zakharov
Yekaterina Popova
Richard Boyle
Functional changes in the snail statocyst system elicited by microgravity.
description <h4>Background</h4>The mollusk statocyst is a mechanosensing organ detecting the animal's orientation with respect to gravity. This system has clear similarities to its vertebrate counterparts: a weight-lending mass, an epithelial layer containing small supporting cells and the large sensory hair cells, and an output eliciting compensatory body reflexes to perturbations.<h4>Methodology/principal findings</h4>In terrestrial gastropod snail we studied the impact of 16- (Foton M-2) and 12-day (Foton M-3) exposure to microgravity in unmanned orbital missions on: (i) the whole animal behavior (Helix lucorum L.), (ii) the statoreceptor responses to tilt in an isolated neural preparation (Helix lucorum L.), and (iii) the differential expression of the Helix pedal peptide (HPep) and the tetrapeptide FMRFamide genes in neural structures (Helix aspersa L.). Experiments were performed 13-42 hours after return to Earth. Latency of body re-orientation to sudden 90° head-down pitch was significantly reduced in postflight snails indicating an enhanced negative gravitaxis response. Statoreceptor responses to tilt in postflight snails were independent of motion direction, in contrast to a directional preference observed in control animals. Positive relation between tilt velocity and firing rate was observed in both control and postflight snails, but the response magnitude was significantly larger in postflight snails indicating an enhanced sensitivity to acceleration. A significant increase in mRNA expression of the gene encoding HPep, a peptide linked to ciliary beating, in statoreceptors was observed in postflight snails; no differential expression of the gene encoding FMRFamide, a possible neurotransmission modulator, was observed.<h4>Conclusions/significance</h4>Upregulation of statocyst function in snails following microgravity exposure parallels that observed in vertebrates suggesting fundamental principles underlie gravi-sensing and the organism's ability to adapt to gravity changes. This simple animal model offers the possibility to describe general subcellular mechanisms of nervous system's response to conditions on Earth and in space.
format article
author Pavel M Balaban
Aleksey Y Malyshev
Victor N Ierusalimsky
Nikolay Aseyev
Tania A Korshunova
Natasha I Bravarenko
M S Lemak
Matvey Roshchin
Igor S Zakharov
Yekaterina Popova
Richard Boyle
author_facet Pavel M Balaban
Aleksey Y Malyshev
Victor N Ierusalimsky
Nikolay Aseyev
Tania A Korshunova
Natasha I Bravarenko
M S Lemak
Matvey Roshchin
Igor S Zakharov
Yekaterina Popova
Richard Boyle
author_sort Pavel M Balaban
title Functional changes in the snail statocyst system elicited by microgravity.
title_short Functional changes in the snail statocyst system elicited by microgravity.
title_full Functional changes in the snail statocyst system elicited by microgravity.
title_fullStr Functional changes in the snail statocyst system elicited by microgravity.
title_full_unstemmed Functional changes in the snail statocyst system elicited by microgravity.
title_sort functional changes in the snail statocyst system elicited by microgravity.
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
publishDate 2011
url https://doaj.org/article/12023827bd5b46059c67d793c1e876be
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