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Investigation of the Physiological Role of Serotonin in the Muscle Function in Planaria

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Biochemistry (Moscow), Supplement Series A: Membrane and Cell Biology Aims and scope

Abstract—

In the present study, close spatial relationships between peripheral serotoninergic nerve elements and the musculature of the body in planaria Polycelis tenuis, Schmidtea mediterranea, and Girardia tigrina have been demonstrated using immunocytochemical and histochemical methods and a confocal laser scanning microscopy. Such a localization of serotoninergic neurons and their fibers indicates an important role of serotonin in the regulation of the muscle function in planaria. Investigation of the mechanisms of muscle contraction in planaria have shown that depolarization caused by high concentration of potassium ions (15–100 mM) and serotonin (10–4 –10–9 M) induced contractions of isolated muscle fibers of Procerodes littoralis. Dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers, nicardipine, nitrendipine, and nifedipine, inhibited contractions of muscles induced by potassium and serotonin suggesting the dependence of the muscle contraction on the extracellular calcium. Thapsigargin and cyclopiazonic acid decreased the number of muscle cells contracting in response to potassium ions, but did not influence the induction of the contractions by serotonin. Thus, the muscle contraction caused by serotonin did not depend on the intracellular calcium. The results provide evidence of the presence of different types of receptors and ion channels mediating the muscle contraction in planaria.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author thanks Prof. A. G. Maule and Prof. D.W. Halton of Queen’s University of Belfast (Northern Ireland, UK) for the opportunity to work in the laboratory, as well as to Dr. A. Mousley for assistance in the technique of the muscle cell cultivation of planaria and valuable recommendations. Fluorescence microscope with digital camera (Leica Mycrosystems, Germany) was provided by the Optical Microscopy and Spectrophotometry core facilities, ICB RAS (Federal Research Center “Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences”, Pushchino). The work on the physiology of muscle contraction was supported by a Royal Society Fellowship Program, Great Britain. Immunocytochemical studies on the identification of serotonin in the nervous system of planarian were supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project no. 18-04-00349a).

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  1. Institute of Cell Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290, Pushchino, Moscow oblast, Russia

    N. D. Kreshchenko

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All procedures were performed in accordance with the European Communities Council Directive (November 24, 1986; 86/609/EEC) and the Declaration on humane treatment of animals. The Protocol of experiments was approved by the bioethics committee of the Institute of Cell Biophysics, RAS.

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Translated by E. Puchkov

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Kreshchenko, N.D. Investigation of the Physiological Role of Serotonin in the Muscle Function in Planaria. Biochem. Moscow Suppl. Ser. A 14, 81–90 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1990747820010067

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1990747820010067

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