Specific features of molecular postsynaptic excitation processes of different sensory modalities in edible snail neurons.

Stimulations of different sensory modalities result in selective activation of second messengers and genes controlled by them in defensive behavior command neurons (LPl-1 and RPl-1) in edible snail. Excitation induced by stimulation of chemoreceptors of snail head results in cAMP accumulation in command neurons and induction of associated transcriptional factors of immediate early gene C/EBP, whereas regulating mechanisms of another sensory input mediating excitation after tactile head stimulation, involve protein kinase C and associated transcriptional factor SRF. These findings reflect specific features of postsynaptic processes providing excitation of different sensory modalities converging to defensive behavior command neurons in edible snails.