title: Gangliosides and thermal adaptation.
abstract: The concentration and pattern of brain gangliosides of lower and higher vertebrates were compared. Only when considering the eco-factor temperature clear correlations between systematical position of species, thermal adaptation status and brain ganglioside composition can be shown: lowering of the environmental temperature induces a long-term formation of more polar ganglioside fractions. In fishes additional long-term compensatory effects to changes in temperature were demonstrated with regard to motor activity, bioelectrical activity of the CNS (post-synaptic potential amplitude) and avoidance conditioning-learning. All phenomena taken together reflect a mechanism of modulating the thermo-sensitivity of the membrane-mediated processes of transmission.
mesh_terms: D000663:Amphibians; D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D005399:Fishes; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology*; D008322:Mammals; D012104:Reptiles; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000032:analysis; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D005732:Gangliosides; D012794:Sialic Acids