title: A learning and memory area in the octopus brain manifests a vertebrate-like long-term potentiation.
abstract: Cellular mechanisms underlying learning and memory were investigated in the octopus using a brain slice preparation of the vertical lobe, an area of the octopus brain involved in learning and memory. Field potential recordings revealed long-term potentiation (LTP) of glutamatergic synaptic field potentials similar to that in vertebrates. These findings suggest that convergent evolution has led to the selection of similar activity-dependent synaptic processes that mediate complex forms of learning and memory in vertebrates and invertebrates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Institute of Life Sciences and the Interdisciplinary Center for Neural Computation, Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91904, Israel. bennyh@lobster.ls.huji.ac.il
authors.forename: Binyamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hochner
authors.forename: Euan R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Langella
authors.forename: Tal
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shomrat
authors.forename: Graziano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fiorito
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D049831:Octopodiformes / Q000502:physiology*