This proposal describes the continuation of the National Resource for Aplysia, whose overall goal is to provide consistently high-quality cultured sea hares Aplysia californica (and their cultured red algal food) to researchers. A. californica is an important non-vertebrate (Opisthobranch mollusk) model system for health- related research, primarily in the neurophysiology 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. There are four sub-projects/specific aims: 1. Production - Sales of animals to researchers in the US and internationally is projected to continue at present levels of 25,000 to 30,000 animals per year. This resource makes available high-quality 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 which have limited seasonal availability and are of unknown age and health status. 2. Production research programs - The resource has been continuously improved over the past 12 years by research to optimize rearing conditions for most life stages of A. californica. The proposed research program will focus on measurement and improvement of egg quality. 3. Animal Health Monitoring - We will continue a monitoring program based on screening animal health parameters to assure rapid detection and complete documentation of any disease processes that might occur in any developmental stages of animals at the hatchery. Any disease syndromes and suspected pathogens observed will be investigated and appropriate control measures applied. 4. Developmental Neurophysiology - We will begin to develop Aplysia as an aging model by studying the changes in D-Asp- and other agonist-activated ionic currents that modulate sensory neuron input in the tail withdrawal reflex, using single cell voltage clamping and recording of the intact reflex. Through this combination of production and basic research, we will improve the model system and extend its usefulness to other areas of research.

Public Health Relevance

The California sea hare, Aplysia californica, is a large marine snail with a very simple nervous system. The National Resource for Aplysia raises and ships 25,000 to 30,00 of these animals per year to labs in the US and around the world for conducting basic research in neurobiology and behavior. This proposal would continue the production of these animals and expand their usefulness concerning studies of aging and Alzheimer's disease.

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 #
5P40OD010952-18
Application #
8460116
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRR1-CM-3 (01))
Program Officer
Chang, Michael
Project Start
1996-05-01
Project End
2014-03-31
Budget Start
2013-04-01
Budget End
2014-03-31
Support Year
18
Fiscal Year
2013
Total Cost
$499,787
Indirect Cost
$166,596
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
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
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

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