Proposal #: IBN-9817196 PI Name: Ebenezer Yamoah
We are interested in how neurons, the basic building blocks of the brain, undergo specific changes after learning. We have chosen classical conditioning, a simple form of learning in which we learn to respond to our environment by relating one stimulus with another stimulus. The model we use is photoreceptors and hair cells of Hermissenda. Neurons consist of two compartments, the cell body and axon. Previous studies have been conducted in the cell bodies of the photoreceptors in Hermissenda. Identification of memory-associated changes in the axons has not been studied. We hypothesize that conditioning produces axon-specific changes which are important for the ensuing behavior modifications. To test this hypothesis we will determine the synaptic changes associated with classical conditioning in Hermissenda using electrophysiological techniques. These studies should lead to a better understanding of how changes in synaptic strength contribute towards memory in neurons. The significance of this project transcends the mechanisms of synapse-specific changes in conditioning-associated plasticity in Hermissenda, however. Since the mechanisms wielded by neurons may be used in different forms by other systems, these studies may provide novel insights into such areas as photosensitivity, mechanosensitivity, neurotransmitter release mechanisms, and brain functions.
