Nicotine injected into the antennal lobes induces a rapid modulation of sucrose threshold and improves short-term memory in the honeybee Apis mellifera.
In honeybee, although it is known that the food perception and the olfactory memory can be modulated by many environmental and biochemical factors, nothing is known on the effects of nicotine on these processes. Using microinjections of nicotine in the antennal lobes, we show that nicotine at 10(-3) M and 10(-4) M but not at 10(-5) M induced an increase of sucrose sensitivity and that post-training injection of 10(-5) M nicotine improved retention of olfactory learning. These results demonstrate that potentiation of the cholinergic system in the honeybee enhances sucrose perception and facilitates olfactory memory.
Thany
Steeve Hervé
SH
Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, CNRS UMR 5169, Université Paul Sabatier, 118 route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, France. steeve.thany@univ-angers.fr
Gauthier
Monique
M
D000818:Animals; D001516:Bees / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000187:drug effects*; D008845:Microinjections; D009538:Nicotine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013395:Sucrose; D013652:Taste Threshold / Q000187:drug effects*
D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D013395:Sucrose; D009538:Nicotine