Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Properties of the Aplysia visual system: in vitro entrainment of the circadian rhythm and centrifugal regulation of the eye

  • Published:
Zeitschrift für vergleichende Physiologie Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

  1. 1.

    Properties of the visual system of Aplysia californica were studied by recording optic nerve impulses extracellularly from isolated eyes in constant darkness.

  2. 2.

    In vivo entrainment of the circadian rhythm of afferent optic nerve impulses by LD 12∶12 cycles phase advanced 13 hours was essentially complete after only one exposure of the animal to this light cycle.

  3. 3.

    The impulse rhythms of eyes exposed to the phase advanced light cycle in vitro entrained, but in this case 4 to 5 exposures to the advanced light cycle were required before entrainment was complete. The difference in the rates of in vivo and in vitro entrainment obtained whether eyes remained attached to the cerebral ganglion or were cultured in filtered Aplysia blood instead of a modified Eagle's minimal essential medium.

  4. 4.

    Eyes maintained in vitro for 9 days expressed circadian impulse rhythms.

  5. 5.

    The behavior of the eye is influenced by efferent activity from neuronal elements in the cerebral ganglion. The pattern of afferent optic nerve impulses and the waveform of the afferent impulse rhythm varies depending on whether or not the eye remains attached to the cerebral ganglion.

  6. 6.

    Electrical stimulation of either the optic, tentacle, or rhinophore nerves, which emanate from the cerebral ganglion, produces an inhibition of the efferent optic nerve activity. This result indicates that a mechanism exists in Aplysia for the activity of one eye to affect the behavior of the contralateral eye and for other sensory inputs to affect the behavior of the eye as well.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aréchiga, H., Wiersma, C. A. G.: The effect of motor activity on the reactivity of single visual units in the crayfish. J. Neurobiol. 1, 53–69 (1969).

    Google Scholar 

  • Aschoff, J., Wever, R.: Circadian period and phase-angle difference in chaffinches (Fringilla coelebs L.). Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 18, 397–404 (1966).

    Google Scholar 

  • Eagle, H.: Amino acid metabolism in mammalian cell cultures. Science 130, 432–437 (1959).

    Google Scholar 

  • Eskin, A., Strumwasser, F.: Properties of the Aplysia visual system: in vitro entrainment of the circadian rhythm; centrifugal regulation. Fed. Proc. 30, 666 (1971).

    Google Scholar 

  • Granit, R.: Centrifugal and antidromic effects on ganglion cells of retina. J. Neurophysiol. 18, 388–411 (1955).

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacklet, J. W.: Circadian rhythm of optic nerve impulses recorded in darkness from isolated eye of Aplysia. Science 164, 562–563 (1969a).

    Google Scholar 

  • —: Electrophysiological organization of the eye of Aplysia. J. gen. Physiol. 53, 21–42 (1969b).

    Google Scholar 

  • —: Circadian rhythm in the activity of a population of coupled neurons. Fed. Proc. 30, 551 (1971a).

    Google Scholar 

  • - A circadian rhythm in optic nerve impulses from an isolated eye in darkness. In: Symposium on Biochronometry (ed. Menaker, M.), Washington, D. C.: National Academy of Sciences. (In the Press.)

  • Miles, F. A.: Centrifugal effects in the avian retina. Science 170, 992–995 (1970).

    Google Scholar 

  • Strumwasser, F., Bahr, R.: Prolonged in vitro culture and autoradiographic studies of neurons in Aplysia. Fed. Proc. 25, 512 (1966).

    Google Scholar 

  • Weingarten, M., Spinelli, D. N.: Retinal receptive field changes produced by auditory and somatic stimulation. Exp. Neurol. 15, 363–376 (1966).

    Google Scholar 

  • Wever, R.: The duration of re-entrainment of circadian rhythms after phase shifts of the Zeitgeber. J. theoret. Biol. 13, 187–201 (1966).

    Google Scholar 

  • Wiersma, C. A. G., Yamaguchi, T.: Integration of visual stimuli by the crayfish central nervous system. J. exp. Biol. 47, 409–431 (1967).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California

    Arnold Eskin

Authors
  1. Arnold Eskin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

The experiments dealing with the cooling of the cerebral ganglion and the electrical stimulation of peripheral nerves were performed in collaboration with Mr. Gerald Audesirk. I am grateful for his help and permission to use the data from these experiments. I am very grateful to Dr. Felix Strumwasser for providing excellent facilities for this research and for many helpful suggestions. I thank Mr. James Gilliam for the construction of equipment and advice on its use and Miss Shelly Rempel for technical assistance. I would also like to thank Drs. Felix Strumwasser, Stephen Arch, and David L. Wilson and Mr. Gerald Audesirk for their suggestions of improvements on this paper. This work was supported in part by USPHS Postdoctoral Fellowship (1-F2-GM-32,240-01 and 2 F02 GM 32240-02) and grants from NINDS (07071), NASA (NGR 05-002-031) and the American Heart Association (69-1023) to Felix Strumwasser.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Eskin, A. Properties of the Aplysia visual system: in vitro entrainment of the circadian rhythm and centrifugal regulation of the eye. Z. vergl. Physiologie 74, 353–371 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00341401

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00341401

Keywords

Search

Navigation