Characterization of a novel non-associative behavior, "protection from habituation", defined by D14-3-3e mutants. E. Skoulakis 1,2, S. Acevedo 2. 1) IMBG, BSRC "Alexander Fleming", Vari, Greece 16672; 2) Program in Genetics, Department of Biology, TexasA&M University, College Station TX 77843.
The 14-3-3 proteins are small acidic cytosolic proteins abundant in the nervous system with putative functions in regulation of exocytosis, and activity modulation of multiple kinases. Because it is distributed throughout the adult nervous system, we investigated the role of D14-3-3e, in behavioral neuroplasticity. Though D14-3-3e mutants do not exhibit defects in olfaction and mechanosensation, our analysis indicated that these mutants exhibited rapid and extensive habituation to olfactory stimuli, a property that could be dishabituated with a novel stimulus delivered with very narrow temporal requirements. Habituation to olfactory stimuli with similar properties was induced in control strains indicating that this is a normal non-associative response to olfactory stimuli that are typically used for olfactory conditioning. We present characterization of this novel behavior in wild type and mutant strains. Since control strains appear to be protected from such rapid habituation, the D14-3-3 e mutants represent a new class of behavioral mutants deficient in protection from habituation.