Biomaterial Database

Development of locomotor behavior in wild type and spastic (sp/sp) axolotls, Ambystoma mexicanum. 1975

C F Ide, and R Tompkins

The homozygous recessive spastic mutant found in the Mexican axolotl shows violent coiling and thrashing behavior when subjected to strong tactile or electrical stimulation. In order to establish the time of onset of the first behavioral manifestation of the spastic gene, an etiological analysis of the ontogeny of swimming behavior in mutants and wild type siblings was undertaken. The locomotor patterns shown by embryos in response to an electrical stimulus were analyzed quantitatively from the embryonic early flexure stage through the larval early feeding stage. Spastic larvae failed to show dorsal-up swimming frequencies equal to those of sibling controls from day 12 (Harrison stage 40) of development indicating a lack of equilibrium. Both spastics and their siblings showed "sinusoid swimming" and "coiling" behavior in response to an aversive stimulus through day 18 (Harrison state 46, early feeding stage) of development. From day 18, wild type siblings abruptly decreased "coiling" behavior and showed strong "escape swimming" in response to an intense stimulus. Spastics never developed "escape swimming" patterns but retained a mixture of "sinusoid swimming" and "coiling" patterns characteristic of pre-feeding stage larvae.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008124	Locomotion	Movement or the ability to move from one place or another. It can refer to humans, vertebrate or invertebrate animals, and microorganisms.	Locomotor Activity,Activities, Locomotor,Activity, Locomotor,Locomotor Activities
D008297	Male		Males
D009154	Mutation	Any detectable and heritable change in the genetic material that causes a change in the GENOTYPE and which is transmitted to daughter cells and to succeeding generations.	Mutations
D005260	Female		Females
D005808	Genes, Recessive	Genes that influence the PHENOTYPE only in the homozygous state.	Conditions, Recessive Genetic,Genetic Conditions, Recessive,Recessive Genetic Conditions,Condition, Recessive Genetic,Gene, Recessive,Genetic Condition, Recessive,Recessive Gene,Recessive Genes,Recessive Genetic Condition
D000557	Ambystoma	A genus of the Ambystomatidae family. The best known species are the axolotl AMBYSTOMA MEXICANUM and the closely related tiger salamander Ambystoma tigrinum. They may retain gills and remain aquatic without developing all of the adult characteristics. However, under proper changes in the environment they metamorphose.	Amblystoma,Ambystoma tigrinum,Tiger Salamander,Amblystomas,Ambystomas,Salamander, Tiger,Salamanders, Tiger,Tiger Salamanders
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001522	Behavior, Animal	The observable response an animal makes to any situation.	Autotomy Animal,Animal Behavior,Animal Behaviors
D013550	Swimming	An activity in which the body is propelled through water by specific movement of the arms and/or the legs. Swimming as propulsion through water by the movement of limbs, tail, or fins of animals is often studied as a form of PHYSICAL EXERTION or endurance.