2. Behavioral Biology TALKS - Deutsche Zoologische Gesellschaft

3. Behavioral Biology POSTERS
����1 Karl Radtke
Transient response to early life stress in a poeciliid Fish
Author: Karl M. Radtke 1/2 , Helen M. Gunter 2/3 , Axel Meyer 2
Affiliation: 1 Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz and Center for
Psychiatry Reichenau; 2 Lehrstuhl für Zoologie und Evolutionsbiologie,
Department of Biology, University of Konstanz; 3 Zukunftskolleg, University of
Konstanz
Human personality traits and their associated behaviors are believed to be
established through a combination of genetic and environmental factors. In
particular, early life stress (ELS) i.e. stress during sensitive periods of development
can have lifelong effects on behavior and mental health. Recent studies suggest, that
also animals, such as rodents, display a sustained behavioral response to ELS. Our
research focuses on the influence of ELS on behavioral traits along the boldnessshyness
continuum in a teleost model, the poeciliid fish Heterandira formosa. We
simulated predator stress in juvenile H. formosa through daily chasing with a net.
Boldness related behavior was then quantified immediately after completion of the
treatment and after four additional weeks through applying an open field and an
emergence test paradigm. ELS strongly reduced boldness related behavior as stressed
fish displayed less exploratory behavior and greater latencies to emerge compared to
the unstressed control group. However, four weeks after the removal of the stressor
the effect was no longer observed. The transience of this predator-induced shyness
might reflect the dynamic ecological conditions of the freshwater streams inhabited
by wild populations of H. formosa.
����2 Anthi Apostolopoulou
Neuronal output from different subsets of Mushroom Body Kenyon Cells is
necessary for different types of associative olfactory learning
Authors: Anthi Apostolopoulou 1 , Andreas Thum 1
Affiliation: 1 University of Konstanz
The Mushroom Body of Drosophila melanogaster was shown in flies and larvae to be
the centre of associative olfactory learning and memory. However, it is largely
unknown how the conditioned and the unconditioned stimulus are processed within
this higher order brain region. Using Drosophila larvae as a model I have analyzed
how neuronal output of mushroom body Kenyon Cells is necessary for associative
olfactory learning reinforced by sugar, salt and electric shock. Taken
together,neuronal output from different subsets of mushroom body Kenyon Cells is
necessary for each type of learning. This distinction doesn´t only occur between
appetitive and aversive reinforced olfactory learning but likely goes even further to
distinguish between different types of aversive associative olfactory learning.
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