[Electrophysiological and neurochemical study of long-term sensitization in the snail]

The long-term sensitization of avoidance reflex was produced in snail Helix pomatia, which led to the remarkable increase in the pneumostome closures period. The formation of long-term sensitization is also accompanied by increase in excitability of command neurons of this reflex. One of the possible mechanisms of this phenomenon is the depolarization of these cells. The quantitative redistribution of water-soluble proteins with relative mobility 0.54 0.42 0.40 was also observed in the identified neurons, both included in the avoidance reflex (command neurons) and non-included (bursting neurons, nerve cells of pool D). The protein with the relative mobility of 0.75 was unique for the nerve cells of neurosecretory pool D in sensitized snails, and was never found in control animals.