Evidence of Right-Left Discrimination in Planarians

Corning, W. C.

doi:10.1080/00223980.1964.9916729

Cited by 17 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 10 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…While seeking the best complex learning protocol we observed the phenomenon previously called planarians' lethargy (Best, 1963;Best and Rubinstein, 1962b;Corning, 1964;McConnell, 1966;McConnell, 1965). Worms' learning curves during the training phase can suddenly reverse after a steady improvement, while healthy and active worms can begin to refuse to behave at all when inserted into the training apparatuses (Best and Rubinstein, 1962b;McConnell, 1965).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

An automated training paradigm reveals long-term memory in planaria and its persistence through head regeneration

Shomrat

Levin

2013

Journal of Experimental Biology

102

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

SUMMARYPlanarian flatworms are a popular system for research into the molecular mechanisms that enable these complex organisms to regenerate their entire body, including the brain. Classical data suggest that they may also be capable of long-term memory. Thus, the planarian system may offer the unique opportunity to study brain regeneration and memory in the same animal. To establish a system for the investigation of the dynamics of memory in a regenerating brain, we developed a computerized training and testing paradigm that avoided the many issues that confounded previous, manual attempts to train planarians. We then used this new system to train flatworms in an environmental familiarization protocol. We show that worms exhibit environmental familiarization, and that this memory persists for at least 14days -long enough for the brain to regenerate. We further show that trained, decapitated planarians exhibit evidence of memory retrieval in a savings paradigm after regenerating a new head. Our work establishes a foundation for objective, high-throughput assays in this molecularly tractable model system that will shed light on the fundamental interface between body patterning and stored memories. We propose planarians as key emerging model species for mechanistic investigations of the encoding of specific memories in biological tissues. Moreover, this system is likely to have important implications for the biomedicine of stem-cell-derived treatments of degenerative brain disorders in human adults. Supplementary material available online at

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

An automated training paradigm reveals long-term memory in planaria and its persistence through head regeneration

Shomrat

Levin

2013

Journal of Experimental Biology

102

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…These bilaterians have the ability to completely recapitulate all body parts, including complex organs, from small pieces of the body, with high morphological and proportional fidelity (Hill & Petersen, ) in a vast variety of perturbations (Morgan, ). The complex organs include a full, centralized brain (Pagán, ; Sarnat, ) and central nervous system (Cebria, ) which has the ability to produce a continuous brain wave pattern (Aoki, Wake, Sasaki, & Agata, ) and complex behaviors (Corning, ; Inoue, Hoshino, Yamashita, Shimoyama, & Agata, ) with impressively variable sensory capabilities as inputs (Asano, Nakamura, Ishida, Azuma, & Shinozawa, ; Brown, , ; Brown & Park, ; Brown, Dustman, & Beck, ; Carpenter, Morita, & Best, ; Hyman, ; MacRae, ). Planaria exhibit complex learning, curiosity, and problem‐solving abilities (Best & Rubenstein, ; Corning & Freed, ; McConnell, ; Pagán, ; Wells, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Planarian regeneration in space: Persistent anatomical, behavioral, and bacteriological changes induced by space travel

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Regeneration is regulated not only by chemical signals but also by physical processes, such as bioelectric gradients. How these may change in the absence of the normal gravitational and geomagnetic fields is largely unknown. Planarian flatworms were moved to the International Space Station for 5 weeks, immediately after removing their heads and tails. A control group in spring water remained on Earth. No manipulation of the planaria occurred while they were in orbit, and space‐exposed worms were returned to our laboratory for analysis. One animal out of 15 regenerated into a double‐headed phenotype—normally an extremely rare event. Remarkably, amputating this double‐headed worm again, in plain water, resulted again in the double‐headed phenotype. Moreover, even when tested 20 months after return to Earth, the space‐exposed worms displayed significant quantitative differences in behavior and microbiome composition. These observations may have implications for human and animal space travelers, but could also elucidate how microgravity and hypomagnetic environments could be used to trigger desired morphological, neurological, physiological, and bacteriomic changes for various regenerative and bioengineering applications.

show abstract

“…Besides regenerative biology, they are also a popular system for the study of cancer [46], [47], the neuropharmacology of drug addiction [48], [49], [50], [51], [52], [53], and memory and learning [23], [54], [55], [56], [57], [58], [59], [60]. They are a critical breakthrough in the evolution of the animal body plan, representing the “first” organism to have both bilateral symmetry and a centralized brain with true synaptic transmission [61].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Second-Generation Device for Automated Training and Quantitative Behavior Analyses of Molecularly-Tractable Model Organisms

et al. 2010

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A deep understanding of cognitive processes requires functional, quantitative analyses of the steps leading from genetics and the development of nervous system structure to behavior. Molecularly-tractable model systems such as Xenopus laevis and planaria offer an unprecedented opportunity to dissect the mechanisms determining the complex structure of the brain and CNS. A standardized platform that facilitated quantitative analysis of behavior would make a significant impact on evolutionary ethology, neuropharmacology, and cognitive science. While some animal tracking systems exist, the available systems do not allow automated training (feedback to individual subjects in real time, which is necessary for operant conditioning assays). The lack of standardization in the field, and the numerous technical challenges that face the development of a versatile system with the necessary capabilities, comprise a significant barrier keeping molecular developmental biology labs from integrating behavior analysis endpoints into their pharmacological and genetic perturbations. Here we report the development of a second-generation system that is a highly flexible, powerful machine vision and environmental control platform. In order to enable multidisciplinary studies aimed at understanding the roles of genes in brain function and behavior, and aid other laboratories that do not have the facilities to undergo complex engineering development, we describe the device and the problems that it overcomes. We also present sample data using frog tadpoles and flatworms to illustrate its use. Having solved significant engineering challenges in its construction, the resulting design is a relatively inexpensive instrument of wide relevance for several fields, and will accelerate interdisciplinary discovery in pharmacology, neurobiology, regenerative medicine, and cognitive science.

show abstract

Evidence of Right-Left Discrimination in Planarians

Cited by 17 publications

References 10 publications

An automated training paradigm reveals long-term memory in planaria and its persistence through head regeneration

An automated training paradigm reveals long-term memory in planaria and its persistence through head regeneration

Planarian regeneration in space: Persistent anatomical, behavioral, and bacteriological changes induced by space travel

A Second-Generation Device for Automated Training and Quantitative Behavior Analyses of Molecularly-Tractable Model Organisms

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About