INVESTIGADORES
SZTARKER Julieta
artículos
Título:
Behaviorally Related Neural Plasticity in the Arthropod Optic Lobes
Autor/es:
MARTÍN BERÓN DE ASTRADA; BENGOCHEA MERCEDES; JULIETA SZTARKER; ALEJANDRO DELORENZI; DANIEL TOMSIC
Revista:
CURRENT BIOLOGY
Editorial:
CELL PRESS
Referencias:
Lugar: United States; Año: 2013 vol. 23 p. 1 - 10
ISSN:
0960-9822
Resumen:
Background: Due to the complexity and variability of natural
environments, the ability to adaptively modify behavior is of
fundamental biological importance. Motion vision provides
essential cues for guiding critical behaviors such as prey,
predator, or mate detection. However, when confronted with
the repeated sight of a moving object that turns out to be irrelevant,
most animals will learn to ignore it. The neural mechanisms
by which moving objects can be ignored are unknown.
Although many arthropods exhibit behavioral adaptation to repetitive
moving objects, the underlying neural mechanisms
have been difficult to study, due to the difficulty of recording
activity from the small columnar neurons in peripheral motion
detection circuits.
Results: We developed an experimental approach in an
arthropod to record the calcium responses of visual neurons
in vivo. We show that peripheral columnar neurons that convey
visual information into the second optic neuropil persist in
responding to the repeated presentation of an innocuous
moving object. However, activity in the columnar neurons
that convey the visual information from the second to the third
optic neuropil is suppressed during high-frequency stimulus
repetitions. In accordance with the animal?s behavioral
changes, the suppression of neural activity is fast but short
lasting and restricted to the retina?s trained area.
Conclusions: Columnar neurons from the second optic neuropil
are likely the main plastic locus responsible for the modifications
in animal behavior when confronted with rapidly
repeated object motion. Our results demonstrate that visually
guided behaviors can be determined by neural plasticity that
occurs surprisingly early in the visual pathway.