This proposal describes the continuation of the National Resource for Aplysia, the overall goal of which to provide consistently high-quality cultured sea hares, A. californica to researchers. A. californica is an important invertebrate (Opisthobranch mollusk) model system for health-related research, primarily in the neurophysiology and molecular biology of behavior and learning. We will continue to produce animals for research and to conduct basic research aimed at exploring new model uses and at improving the resource. The two aims of this project are: 1. Resource Production - Sales of animals to researchers in the US and internationally are projected to continue at present levels of 15,000 to 20,000 animals per year. This resource makes available A. californica at all life stages from eggs through mature adults by rearing animals in carefully controlled laboratory conditions. All life-stages are available in sufficient quantities to meet user demand throughout the year, eliminating reliance on wild-collected animals that have limited seasonal availability and are of unknown age and health status. The Resource also offers customized services for raising same-aged cohorts, using specific diets and harvesting tissues. New products to be offered in the coming grant period will include behaviorally validated mature and senescent animals. 2. Research Programs to support the Resource - We will extend two research projects initiated during the current grant period to create new Aplysia resources that we believe will expand the usefulness of this model system to researchers (1) Refinement of stages of aging to expand our understanding of stages of aging in the Aplysia model system and allow us to offer a more complete series of age-staged animals to our users wishing to study age-related phenomena and (2) Assessment of environmental effects on phenotype to investigate several approaches for culturing animals that somewhat mimic conditions in the wild.

Public Health Relevance

The California sea hare, A. californica, is a large marine snail that has proven to be an outstanding model for studies of how the nervous system functions, particularly in memory and learning as well as in understanding human diseases that affect these functions. The National Resource for Aplysia raises and ships 15,000 to 20,000 of these animals per year to research laboratories. This proposal would continue the production of these animals and expand their usefulness for studies of aging.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Office of The Director, National Institutes of Health (OD)
Type
Animal (Mammalian and Nonmammalian) Model, and Animal and Biological Material Resource Grants (P40)
Project #
3P40OD010952-20S1
Application #
9105826
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZOD1-CM-8 (01))
Program Officer
Zou, Sige
Project Start
1996-05-01
Project End
2019-03-31
Budget Start
2015-08-01
Budget End
2016-03-31
Support Year
20
Fiscal Year
2015
Total Cost
$94,200
Indirect Cost
$34,200
Name
University of Miami Rosenteil School
Department
Zoology
Type
Other Domestic Higher Education
DUNS #
152764007
City
Miami
State
FL
Country
United States
Zip Code
33149
Fieber, Lynne A; Kron, Nicholas S; Greer, Justin B et al. (2018) A comparison of hatchery-rearing in exercise to wild animal physiology and reflex behavior in Aplysia californica. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 221:24-31
Welle, Theresa M; Alanis, Kristen; Colombo, Michelle L et al. (2018) A high spatiotemporal study of somatic exocytosis with scanning electrochemical microscopy and nanoITIES electrodes. Chem Sci 9:4937-4941
Checco, James W; Zhang, Guo; Yuan, Wang-Ding et al. (2018) Aplysia allatotropin-related peptide and its newly identified d-amino acid-containing epimer both activate a receptor and a neuronal target. J Biol Chem 293:16862-16873
Checco, James W; Zhang, Guo; Yuan, Wang-Ding et al. (2018) Molecular and Physiological Characterization of a Receptor for d-Amino Acid-Containing Neuropeptides. ACS Chem Biol 13:1343-1352
Greer, Justin B; Khuri, Sawsan; Fieber, Lynne A (2017) Phylogenetic analysis of ionotropic L-glutamate receptor genes in the Bilateria, with special notes on Aplysia californica. BMC Evol Biol 17:11
Kang, Somi; Badea, Adina; Rubakhin, Stanislav S et al. (2017) Quantitative Reflection Imaging for the Morphology and Dynamics of Live Aplysia californica Pedal Ganglion Neurons Cultured on Nanostructured Plasmonic Crystals. Langmuir 33:8640-8650
Patel, Amit V; Kawai, Takayuki; Wang, Liping et al. (2017) Chiral Measurement of Aspartate and Glutamate in Single Neurons by Large-Volume Sample Stacking Capillary Electrophoresis. Anal Chem 89:12375-12382
Lee, Chang Young; Fan, Yi; Rubakhin, Stanislav S et al. (2016) A neuron-in-capillary platform for facile collection and mass spectrometric characterization of a secreted neuropeptide. Sci Rep 6:26940
David, Kyle T; Tanabe, Phillip; Fieber, Lynne A (2016) Resource Availability Drives Mating Role Selection in a Simultaneous Hermaphrodite Aplysia californica. Biol Bull 231:199-206
Kempsell, Andrew T; Fieber, Lynne A (2016) Habituation in the Tail Withdrawal Reflex Circuit is Impaired During Aging in Aplysia californica. Front Aging Neurosci 8:24

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