The Great Pond Snail (Lymnaea stagnalis) as a Model of Aging and Age-Related Memory Impairment: An Overview

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
István Fodor ◽  
Réka Svigruha ◽  
György Kemenes ◽  
Ildikó Kemenes ◽  
Zsolt Pirger
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Life Span ◽  
Memory Impairment ◽  
Lymnaea Stagnalis ◽  
Brain Aging ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Pond Snail ◽  
Memory Decline ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Behavioral Mechanisms

Abstract With the increase of life span, normal aging and age-related memory decline are affecting an increasing number of people; however, many aspects of these processes are still not fully understood. Although vertebrate models have provided considerable insights into the molecular and electrophysiological changes associated with brain aging, invertebrates, including the widely recognized molluscan model organism, the great pond snail (Lymnaea stagnalis), have proven to be extremely useful for studying mechanisms of aging at the level of identified individual neurons and well-defined circuits. Its numerically simpler nervous system, well-characterized life cycle, and relatively long life span make it an ideal organism to study age-related changes in the nervous system. Here, we provide an overview of age-related studies on L. stagnalis and showcase this species as a contemporary choice for modeling the molecular, cellular, circuit, and behavioral mechanisms of aging and age-related memory impairment.

scholarly journals A proteomics database for CNS proteins of the great pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Wooller ◽  
Aikaterini Anagnostopoulou ◽  
Benno Kuropka ◽  
Michael Crossley ◽  
Paul R. Benjamin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Lymnaea Stagnalis ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Biological Data ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Pond Snail ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Area Of Interest ◽  
Age Related

Applications of key technologies in bioscientific and biomedical research, such as qRT-PCR or LC-MS based proteomics, are generating large biological data sets (omics data) which are useful for the identification and quantification of biomarkers involved in molecular mechanisms of any research area of interest. Genome, transcriptome and proteome databases are already available for a number of model organisms including vertebrates and invertebrates. However, there is insufficient information available for protein sequences of certain invertebrates, such as the great pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis, a model organism that has been used highly successfully in elucidating evolutionarily conserved mechanisms of learning and memory, ageing and age-related as well as amyloid beta induced memory decline. Here, we present the design and benchmarking of a new proteomics database (LymSt-PDB) for the identification of proteins from the Central Nervous System (CNS) of Lymnaea stagnalis by LC-MS based proteomics.

scholarly journals Neuropeptide Localization in Lymnaea stagnalis: From the Central Nervous System to Subcellular Compartments

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen A. Wood ◽  
Sylwia A. Stopka ◽  
Linwen Zhang ◽  
Sara Mattson ◽  
Gabor Maasz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Lymnaea Stagnalis ◽  
Single Cell Analysis ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Pond Snail ◽  
Ms Imaging ◽  
Subcellular Compartments ◽  
Neuronal Connections ◽  
The Central Nervous System

Due to the relatively small number of neurons (few tens of thousands), the well-established multipurpose model organism Lymnaea stagnalis, great pond snail, has been extensively used to study the functioning of the nervous system. Unlike the more complex brains of higher organisms, L. stagnalis has a relatively simple central nervous system (CNS) with well-defined circuits (e.g., feeding, locomotion, learning, and memory) and identified individual neurons (e.g., cerebral giant cell, CGC), which generate behavioral patterns. Accumulating information from electrophysiological experiments maps the network of neuronal connections and the neuronal circuits responsible for basic life functions. Chemical signaling between synaptic-coupled neurons is underpinned by neurotransmitters and neuropeptides. This review looks at the rapidly expanding contributions of mass spectrometry (MS) to neuropeptide discovery and identification at different granularity of CNS organization. Abundances and distributions of neuropeptides in the whole CNS, eleven interconnected ganglia, neuronal clusters, single neurons, and subcellular compartments are captured by MS imaging and single cell analysis techniques. Combining neuropeptide expression and electrophysiological data, and aided by genomic and transcriptomic information, the molecular basis of CNS-controlled biological functions is increasingly revealed.

scholarly journals Primary structure and origin of schistosomin, an anti-gonadotropic neuropeptide of the pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis

1991 ◽  
Vol 279 (3) ◽  
pp. 837-842 ◽  
Author(s):  
P L Hordijk ◽  
H D F H Schallig ◽  
R H M Ebberink ◽  
M de Jong-Brink ◽  
J Joosse
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Primary Structure ◽  
Lymnaea Stagnalis ◽  
Sequence Similarity ◽  
Infected Snail ◽  
Chain Molecule ◽  
Pond Snail ◽  
Single Chain ◽  
The Central Nervous System

In the pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis infected with the schistosome parasite Trichobilharzia ocellata, a peptide called schistosomin is released from the central nervous system, which counteracts the bioactivity of a number of gonadotropic hormones. This leads to inhibition of the reproductive activities of the infected snail. In order to determine the structure of schistosomin, the neuropeptide was purified from the central nervous system using gel-permeation chromatography and reverse-phase h.p.l.c. The complete primary structure of the peptide was determined by N-terminal sequencing and peptide mapping. Schistosomin is a single-chain molecule of 79 amino acids with a molecular mass of 8738 Da. The peptide contains eight cysteine residues which may give rise to four intramolecular disulphide bridges that fold the peptide into a stable globular structure. A database search did not reveal any known peptides that show significant sequence similarity to schistosomin. By means of immunocytochemistry, the peptide was shown to be localized in the growth-controlling neurosecretory light green cells, which are located in the cerebral ganglia of the central nervous system of Lymnaea. In addition to schistosomin, these neurons are known to produce various insulin-related peptides.

scholarly journals Octopamine: a new feeding modulator in Lymnaea

1998 ◽  
Vol 353 (1375) ◽  
pp. 1631-1643 ◽  
Author(s):  
Á Vehovszky ◽  
C. J. H. Elliott ◽  
E. E. Voronezhskaya ◽  
L. Hiripi ◽  
K. Elekes
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Lymnaea Stagnalis ◽  
Lucifer Yellow ◽  
Electrical Coupling ◽  
Pond Snail ◽  
Double Labelling ◽  
Feeding System ◽  
Morphological Criteria ◽  
Stimulation Of

The role of octopamine (OA) in the feeding system of the pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis , was studied by applying behavioural tests on intact animals, and a combination of electrophysiological analysis and morphological labelling in the isolated central nervous system. OA antagonists phentolamine, demethylchlordimeform (DCDM) and 2–chloro–4–methyl–2–(phenylimino)–imidazolidine (NC–7) were injected into intact snails and the sucrose–induced feeding response of animals was monitored. Snails that received 25–50 mg kg -1 phentolamine did not start feeding in sucrose, and the same dose of NC–7 reduced the number of feeding animals by 80–90% 1–3 hours after injection. DCDM treatment reduced feeding by 20–60%. In addition, both phentolamine and NC–7 significantly decreased the feeding rate of those animals that still accepted food after 1–6 hours of injection. In the central nervous system a pair of buccal neurons was identified by electrophysiological and morphological criteria. After double labelling (intracellular staining with Lucifer yellow followed by OA–immunocytochemistry) these neurons were shown to be OA immunoreactive, and electrophysiological experiments confirmed that they are members of the buccal feeding system. Therefore the newly identified buccal neurons were called OC neurons (putative OA containing neurons or OAergic cells). Synchronous intracellular recordings demonstrated that the OC neurons share a common rhythm with feeding neurons either appearing spontaneously or evoked by intracellularly stimulated feeding interneurons. OC neurons also have synaptic connections with identified members of the feeding network: electrical coupling was demonstrated between OC neurons and members of the B4 cluster motoneurons, furthermore, chemically transmitted synaptic responses were recorded both on feeding motoneurons (B1, B2 cells) and the SO modulatory interneuron after the stimulation of OC neurons. However, elementary synaptic potentials could not be recorded on the follower cells of OC neurons. Prolonged (20 to 30 s) intracellular stimulation of OC cells activated the buccal feeding neurons leading to rhythmic activity pattern (fictive feeding) in a way similar to OA applied by perfusion onto isolated central nervous system (CNS) preparations. Our results suggest that OA acts as a modulatory substance in the feeding system of Lymnaea stagnalis and the newly identified pair of OC neurons belongs to the buccal feeding network.

Evidence for an enkephalinergic system in the nervous system of the pond snail,Lymnaea stagnalis

1990 ◽  
Vol 531 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 66-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael K. Leung ◽  
Harry H. Boer ◽  
Jan van Minnen ◽  
Jonathan Lundy ◽  
George B. Stefano
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Lymnaea Stagnalis ◽  
Pond Snail

scholarly journals Reversal of Age-Related Learning Deficiency by the Vertebrate PACAP and IGF-1 in a Novel Invertebrate Model of Aging: The Pond Snail (Lymnaea stagnalis)

2014 ◽  
Vol 69 (11) ◽  
pp. 1331-1338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Pirger ◽  
S. Naskar ◽  
Z. Laszlo ◽  
G. Kemenes ◽  
D. Regl di ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lymnaea Stagnalis ◽  
Pond Snail ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Invertebrate Model

scholarly journals Gap junction coding innexin in Lymnaea stagnalis: sequence analysis and characterization in tissues and the central nervous system

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brittany A. Mersman ◽  
Sonia N. Jolly ◽  
Zhenguo Lin ◽  
Fenglian Xu
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Gene Duplication ◽  
Gap Junction ◽  
Lymnaea Stagnalis ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Genetic Research ◽  
Single Copy ◽  
Pond Snail ◽  
The Central Nervous System

AbstractConnections between neurons called synapses are the key components underlying all nervous system functions of animals and humans. However, important genetic information on the formation and plasticity of one type, the electrical (gap junction-mediated) synapse, is severely understudied, especially in invertebrates. In the present study, we set forth to identify and characterize the gap junction-encoding gene innexin in the central nervous system (CNS) of the mollusc pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis (L. stagnalis). With PCR, 3’ and 5’ RACE, and BLAST searches, we identified eight innexin genes in the L. stagnalis nervous system named Lst Inx1-8. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the L. stagnalis innexin genes originated from a single copy in the common ancestor of molluscan species by multiple gene duplication events and have been maintained in L. stagnalis since they were generated. The paralogous innexin genes demonstrate distinct expression patterns among tissues. In addition, one paralog, Lst Inx1, exhibits heterogeneity in cells and ganglia, suggesting the occurrence of functional diversification after gene duplication. These results introduce possibilities to study an intriguing potential relationship between innexin paralog expression and cell-specific functional outputs such as heterogenic ability to form channels and exhibit synapse plasticity. The L. stagnalis CNS contains large neurons and a functionally defined network for behaviors; with the introduction of L. stagnalis in the gap junction field, we are providing novel opportunities to combine genetic research with direct investigation of functional outcomes at the cellular, synaptic, and behavioral levels.Summary StatementBy characterizing the gap junction gene innexin in Lymnaea stagnalis, we open opportunities for novel studies on the regulation, plasticity, and evolutionary function of electrical synapses throughout the animal kingdom.

scholarly journals SPECIFIC FEATURES OF EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT OF POND SNAIL (LYMNAEA STAGNALIS L.) UNDER ANTHROPOGENIC INFLUENCE OF CHLORIDE COMPOUNDS IN WATER

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (3) ◽  
pp. 134-141
Author(s):  
Aleksandr Gorbunov ◽  
Dmitry Nikiforov-Nikishin ◽  
Oleg Gorbunov
Keyword(s):  
Embryonic Development ◽  
Lymnaea Stagnalis ◽  
Water Environment ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Biological Indicators ◽  
Anthropogenic Factors ◽  
Pond Snail ◽  
Integral Parameter ◽  
Egg Shells

The article highlights the research of embryonic development of hydrobionts under the influence of anthropogenic factors of water solutions – chlorobenzene and tetrachloroethylene. To detect the toxicity of chloride pollutants in a freshwater reservoir, representatives of benthic mollusks (big pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis L.) were used as a model organism. According to the results of research, it was found that at a concentration of 0.01 mg/l of chlorobenzene solution individual anomalies of embryonic development of the pond fish are observed, but at higher concentrations its development is delayed by 5-6 stages in comparison with the control. As an integral parameter of pond fish development, we can take indicators of the biological toxicity criterion: Hatchling and its survival over a 10-day period after leaving the egg shells. Changes in the physiological parameters of pond fish embryos begin with a chlorobenzene concentration of 0.01 mg/l; the maximum permissible concentration for tetrachloroethylene for the considered biological indicators should be considered 0.05 mg/l. It is noted that in big pond snail (Lymnaea stagnalis L.) the hatch of juveniles from egg shells is the most sensitive indicator when determining the toxicity of an aqueous solution; and less sensitive indicators are the number of eggs laid and the survival of juveniles in the first 10 days after hatching. The test object used is a large pond, which has shown a high sensitivity to contamination of the water environment with chlorinated ecotoxicants and can be recommended for a comprehensive quality assessment when biotesting freshwater waters

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