Acetyl-l-carnitine affects nonassociative learning processes in the leech Hirudo medicinalis

Ristori, Chiara; Cataldo, Enrico; Zaccardi, Ml; Traina, Giovanna; Calvani, Menotti; Lombardo, Paola; Scuri, Rossana; Brunelli, Marcello

doi:10.1016/j.neuroscience.2006.07.002

Cited by 7 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Numerous studies have suggested that carnitines can influence a variety of human and animal behaviors, including ambulatory (22), aggressive (23), impulsive (24), and learning (25). Carnitines have been proposed to act as important neuromodulators by regulating carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in the animal central nervous system (21).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metabolomic analysis reveals that carnitines are key regulatory metabolites in phase transition of the locusts

Wang

et al. 2012

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

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Phenotypic plasticity occurs prevalently and plays a vital role in adaptive evolution. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for the expression of alternate phenotypes remain unknown. Here, a density-dependent phase polyphenism of Locusta migratoria was used as the study model to identify key signaling molecules regulating the expression of phenotypic plasticity. Metabolomic analysis, using high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, showed that solitarious and gregarious locusts have distinct metabolic profiles in hemolymph. A total of 319 metabolites, many of which are involved in lipid metabolism, differed significantly in concentration between the phases. In addition, the time course of changes in the metabolic profiles of locust hemolymph that accompany phase transition was analyzed. Carnitine and its acyl derivatives, which are involved in the lipid β-oxidation process, were identified as key differential metabolites that display robust correlation with the time courses of phase transition. RNAi silencing of two key enzymes from the carnitine system, carnitine acetyltransferase and palmitoyltransferase, resulted in a behavioral transition from the gregarious to solitarious phase and the corresponding changes of metabolic profiles. In contrast, the injection of exogenous acetylcarnitine promoted the acquisition of gregarious behavior in solitarious locusts. These results suggest that carnitines mediate locust phase transition possibly through modulating lipid metabolism and influencing the nervous system of the locusts.aggregation | metabolic profiling | phase change P henotypic plasticity is the ability of an organism with a single genotype to change its phenotype in response to different environments and is currently seen as an important aspect of adaptation (1-3). Several regulatory mechanisms associated with phenotypic plasticity, including hormonal activity, gene expression, alternative splicing, and DNA methylation, have recently been identified in a number of genetic-model organisms (4, 5). However, the key signaling circuits or regulatory networks mediating the differential expression of plastic phenotypes triggered by environmental cues are still largely unknown, especially in noncanonical study models (6).The migratory locust, Locusta migratoria, a worldwide agricultural pest, displays remarkable phase polyphenism, in which the expression of numerous physiological, morphological, and behavioral traits occurs in response to changes in local population density (7). As one of the striking examples of phenotypic plasticity, locusts provide an ideal model system to study the mechanisms underlying phenotypic plasticity (3). Locust crowding induces the aggregating, more active, and conspicuously colored gregarious phase, whereas isolation leads to the shy, sedentary, and cryptically colored solitarious phase. In addition, phase polyphenism involves variation in many physiological traits, such as immunity, reproduction, and endocrine and energy metab...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metabolomic analysis reveals that carnitines are key regulatory metabolites in phase transition of the locusts

Wang

et al. 2012

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

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“…Behavioral procedure has been previously described by Zaccardi et al (2001Zaccardi et al ( , 2004 and Ristori et al (2006). Briefly, before testing the animals, the connection between the cephalic and the first segmental ganglion was cut to remove the tonic inhibition exerted by the head ganglion on swimming activity making a behaving animal able to respond consistently to the training protocol (Brodfuehrer and Burns, 1995;Ristori et al, 2006;Zaccardi et al, 2001).…”

Section: Behavioral Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Briefly, before testing the animals, the connection between the cephalic and the first segmental ganglion was cut to remove the tonic inhibition exerted by the head ganglion on swimming activity making a behaving animal able to respond consistently to the training protocol (Brodfuehrer and Burns, 1995;Ristori et al, 2006;Zaccardi et al, 2001). Each experimental session started two days after surgery.…”

Section: Behavioral Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Starting from 2004, we have exploited the experimental advantages of the leech Hirudo medicinalis in order to investigate some mechanisms through which ALC exerts its actions on the nervous system (Lombardo et al, 2004;Ristori et al, 2006;Traina et al, 2013). In this Invertebrate, the nociceptive stimulation of the dorsal skin induces changes in the swim initiation (SI) by producing a more rapid response to a test stimulus (sensitization) (Zaccardi et al, 2001).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Leech swimming is an episodic behavior triggered by sensory stimulations. Previously, we have demonstrated that a single treatment with ALC blocks non-associative learning processes such as sensitization and that it partially prevents dishabituation triggered by brush strokes in a dose and time-dependent manner (Ristori et al, 2006); moreover, ALC is capable of modulating the electrical activity of the sensory T neurons (Lombardo et al, 2004) which in SI drive the sensory information to the swim-related muscles through a complex neuronal network initiating swimming activity. The most effective dose of ALC was 2 mM and the effects of the drug at this concentration on the non-associative learning processes were longlasting suggesting the hypothesis that the ALC effects on sensitization and dishabituation processes might involve mechanisms related to qualitative changes in the gene expression or the modulation of protein synthesis.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Transcription and protein synthesis inhibitors influence long-term effects of acetyl-l-carnitine on non-associative learning in the leech

Traina

Scuri

2015

Neurochemistry International

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Acetyl-l-carnitine prevents serotonin-induced behavioural sensitization and dishabituation in Hirudo medicinalis

Traina

Ristori

Brunelli

et al. 2013

Behavioural Brain Research

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Acetyl-l-carnitine affects nonassociative learning processes in the leech Hirudo medicinalis

Cited by 7 publications

References 42 publications

Metabolomic analysis reveals that carnitines are key regulatory metabolites in phase transition of the locusts

Metabolomic analysis reveals that carnitines are key regulatory metabolites in phase transition of the locusts

Transcription and protein synthesis inhibitors influence long-term effects of acetyl-l-carnitine on non-associative learning in the leech

Acetyl-l-carnitine prevents serotonin-induced behavioural sensitization and dishabituation in Hirudo medicinalis

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