Stimulus specific effect of scotophobin on mouse plasma corticoids

Interanimal transferability of taste aversion learning for 0.1% saccharin

Three experiments were performed to assess the interanimal transferability of conditioned taste aversion to 0.1% saccharin. Two experiments used an intracerebrospinal fluid (subdural) route for administering brain extracts and a third used an intraperitoneal (IP) route. As assessed by repeated measurements ANOVA, saccharin consumption was significantly lower during extinction of conditioned aversion for experimental recipients (ER) receiving extracts from aversively conditioned donors, than that of control recipients (CR), receiving extracts from unconditioned donors in one subdural experiment, F(21, 189) = 1.61, p less than 0.05. In the IP experiment the results were in the same direction, though not significant, F(34, 238) = 1.39, p less than 0.1. Results of the other subdural experiment are discussed. It is concluded that these experiments with the conditioned taste aversion paradigm have potential as a model for investigations of behavioral interanimal transfer (BIT) and for neuromolecular research aimed at identification of associated putative neurochemical(s) and the elaboration of their mechanism of action.

Isolation and identification of two learning-induced brain peptides

Goldfish were trained either to avoid the blue compartment of a tank and swim into the green compartment or, conversely, to avoid green and prefer blue. Preliminary experiments indicated that acquisition of the avoidance behavior was associated with the presence in the brain of two peptides, one found in blue avoiding (BA), another in green avoiding (GA) fish. With the help of behavioral bioassays, the peptides were isolated and purified, and their structure was determined by ultrasmicroanalytical techniques. The sequence of the BA peptide, pglu-ile-gly-ala-val-phe-pro-leu-lys-tyr-gly-ser-lys-OH was reproduced by synthesis. Sequential analysis of the GA peptide gave two alternative structures, NAc-lys-gly-gln-ile-ala-val-phe-pro-leu-lys-tyr-gly-ser-OH or NAc-lys-gly-ala-val-gln-ile-phe-pro-lys-tyr-gly-ser-OH, both of which are being synthetized to be compared with the natural compound. Overlapping sequences between the BA and GA peptides suggest the existence of a family of peptides associated with behavior based on color discrimination.