Change in excitability of a putative decision-making neuron in Aplysia serves as a mechanism in the decision not to feed following food satiation.

ABSTRACT: Although decision making is a ubiquitous function, the understanding of its underlying mechanisms remains limited, particularly at the single-cell level. In this study, we used the decision not to feed that follows satiation in the marine mollusk Aplysia to examine the role of putative decision-making neuron B51 in this process. B51 is a neuron in the feeding neural circuit that exhibits decision-making characteristics in vitro, which bias the circuit toward producing the motor programs responsible for biting behavior. Once satiated, Aplysia decided not to bite for a prolonged period of time (≥24h) when presented with a food stimulus that normally elicits feeding in non-satiated animals. Twenty-four hours after satiation, suppressed feeding was accompanied by a significant decrease of B51

SUBMITTER: Dickinson KJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4305457 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature