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Neurotransmitter Receptor Antagonism Inhibits the Sea Urchin Righting Response
Author(s) -
Shelley Chris,
Dyar Andrew,
Schieber Marquis
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.2019.33.1_supplement.849.3
Subject(s) - sea urchin , biology , echinoderm , hexamethonium , strongylocentrotus purpuratus , receptor , anatomy , ecology , pharmacology , acetylcholine , biochemistry
The deuterostome superphylum comprises the chordates, which includes all vertebrates, echinoderms (including sea urchins and sea stars), and hemichordates (acorn worms). Despite the close phylogenetic relationship between invertebrate echinoderms and vertebrates, the understanding of echinoderm neurobiology lags far behind that of many other invertebrate species. To investigate molecular components of echinoderm behavior, we used the righting response, in which an inverted sea urchin will use its tube feet and spines to right itself, as a behavioral assay. Using purple sea urchins ( Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) we demonstrate that immersion in drug solution is a simple and effective drug administration route. Using the drug immersion procedure, we show that the sea urchin righting response is inhibited in a dose‐dependent manner by the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist hexamethonium and also affected by the GABA A receptor antagonist bicuculline. In addition, decreasing the concentration of extracellular Ca 2+ also inhibited the righting response. These data start to elucidate the receptor systems involved the control of sea urchin motor activity. Support or Funding Information Funding was provided by the University of the South Conduff Fund and the University of the South Kresge Fund. This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal .