Molecular characterization of cell types in the squid .

Cephalopods are set apart from other mollusks by their advanced behavioral abilities and the complexity of their nervous systems. Because of the great evolutionary distance that separates vertebrates from cephalopods, it is evident that higher cognitive features have evolved separately in these clades despite the similarities that they share. Alongside their complex behavioral abilities, cephalopods have evolved specialized cells and tissues, such as the chromatophores for camouflage or suckers to grasp prey.

Identification and Characterization of a Rhodopsin Kinase Gene in the Suckers of : Looking around Using Arms?

In their foraging behavior octopuses rely on arm search movements outside the visual field of the eyes. In these movements the environment is explored primarily by the suckers that line the entire length of the octopus arm. In this study, for the first time, we report the complete characterization of a light-sensing molecule, Ov-GRK1, in the suckers, skin and retina of .

Cognitive Stimulation Induces Differential Gene Expression in : The Key Role of Protocadherins.

Octopuses are unique invertebrates, with sophisticated and flexible behaviors controlled by a high degree of brain plasticity, learning, and memory. Moreover, in , it has been demonstrated that animals housed in an enriched environment show adult neurogenesis in specific brain areas. Firstly, we evaluated the optimal acclimatization period needed for an before starting a cognitive stimulation experiment.

Sensorial Hierarchy in s Food Choice: Chemical vs. Visual.

possesses highly sophisticated sense organs, processed by the nervous system to generate appropriate behaviours such as finding food, avoiding predators, identifying conspecifics, and locating suitable habitat. Octopus uses multiple sensory modalities during the searching and selection of food, in particular, the chemosensory and visual cues. Here, we examined food choice in in two ways: (1) We tested octopus's food preference among three different kinds of food, and established anchovy as the preferred choice (66.

EFCAB2 is a novel calcium-binding protein in mouse testis and sperm.

Calcium-binding proteins regulate ion metabolism and the necessary signaling pathways for the maturational events of sperm. Our aim is to identify the novel calcium-binding proteins in testis. The gene EFCAB2 (GenBank NM_026626.

Germline recombination in a novel Cre transgenic line, Prl3b1-Cre mouse.

Spermatogenesis is a complex and highly regulated process by which spermatogonial stem cells differentiate into spermatozoa. To better understand the molecular mechanisms of the process, the Cre/loxP system has been widely utilized for conditional gene knockout in mice. In this study, we generated a transgenic mouse line that expresses Cre recombinase under the control of the 2.