Effect of antisera to beta and gamma goldfish brain proteins on the retention of a newly acquired behavior.
The metabolism of 3 brain cytoplasmic proteins (alpha, beta, and gamma) increases markedly when goldfish acquire a new pattern of behavior. Antisera specific to beta and beta + gamma proteins were prepared and injected into the fourth ventricle of the brains of trained animals at 8 and 24 h after the initiation of training. When tested 3 days later, such goldfish (N = 98) could not recall the training; whereas trained goldfish (N = 97) receiving non-immunized rabbit serum had complete recall of the behavior. Also no amnesia was obtained in control experiments in which trained goldfish were injected with an antiserum to a neural surface membrane protein NS-6. The fact that antisera to beta + gamma had no toxic effects was demonstrated by injecting them prior to training; no effects on the rate of acquisition and recall of the behavior was found. The antisera to beta + gamma were effective in inhibiting recall of the training when they were injected any time between 3 h up to 48 h after training; no effect was obtained at 72 h post training. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that beta and gamma might have some functional role in the plasticity of the CNS.
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D001921:Brain / Q000276:immunology*; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000276:immunology; D000939:Epitopes; D006054:Goldfish; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D012153:Retention, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects*
D000939:Epitopes; D007106:Immune Sera; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins