Structural and chemical changes in the cytoskeleton of the goldfish Mauthner cells after vestibular stimulation.
The ultrastructure and protein content of goldfish Mauthner cells (M-cells) at different functional states induced by natural vestibular stimulations were studied. 2-h stimulation, usually causing a fatiguing of the fishes, was found to be accompanied by ultrastructural changes within M-cells and a decreased content of cytoskeletal proteins. After training by short stimulations resulting in a long-term adaptation of the fishes, the ultrastructure and protein content of M-cells could not be distinguished qualitatively and quantitatively from those of non-adapted fishes. When the adapted fishes were stimulated for 2 h the content of a 70-kDa protein was found to be increased. In addition, the content of a 42-kDa protein, obviously actin, was elevated in this case. Correspondingly, electron microscopic analysis demonstrated a significantly increased resistance of the cytoskeleton to fatiguing stimulation. The data obtained indicate that the neural cytoskeleton is a central target of fatiguing stimulation. We suppose that the 70-kDa protein is responsible for the adaptive properties of the cytoskeleton. This protein is assumed to be identical with one of the so-called heat-shock proteins of non-neural cells which have the same electrophoretic mobility and are also able to protect the cytoskeleton under stress conditions.
Moshkov
D A
DA
Institute of Biological Physics, USSR Academy of Sciences, Pushchino.
Saveljeva
L N
LN
Yanjushina
G V
GV
Funtikov
V A
VA
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D006054:Goldfish / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D013550:Swimming; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology; D014722:Vestibule, Labyrinth / Q000502:physiology*
D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins