title: Involvement of NO-synthase and nicotinic receptors in learning in the honey bee.
abstract: Restrained worker honey bees (Apis mellifera) are one of the main models for the comparative study of learning and memory processes. Bees easily learn to associate a sucrose reward to antennal tactile scanning of a small metal plate (associative learning). Their proboscis extension response can also be habituated through repeated sucrose stimulations (non-associative learning). We studied the role of nitric oxide synthase and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in these two forms of learning. The nicotinic antagonist MLA or the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor l-NAME impaired the formation of tactile associative long-term memory that specifically occurs during multiple-trial training; however these drugs had no effect on single-trial training. None of the drugs affected retrieval processes. These pharmacological results are consistent with data previously obtained with olfactory conditioning and indicate that MLA-sensitive nicotinic receptors and NO-synthase are specifically involved in long-term memory. MLA and l-NAME both reduced the number of trials required for habituation to occur. This result suggests that a reduction of cholinergic nicotinic neurotransmission promotes PER habituation in the honey bee.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale UMR-CNRS 5169 Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse III, Bât 4R3, 118 route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse Cedex 09, France. dacher@asu.edu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dacher
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gauthier
mesh_terms: D000157:Aconitine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001245:Association Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D001516:Bees / Q000502:physiology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic / Q000187:drug effects; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D018733:Nicotinic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism*; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D012201:Reward; D013395:Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013549:Sweetening Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D018733:Nicotinic Antagonists; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D013549:Sweetening Agents; C054634:methyllycaconitine; D013395:Sucrose; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester; D000157:Aconitine