The effect of rearing environment on memory formation

Abstract

Lymnaea stagnalis is a well-studied model system for determining how changes in the environment influence associative learning and memory formation. For example, some wild strains of L. stagnalis, collected from separate geographic locations, show superior memory-forming abilities compared with others. Here, we studied memory formation in two laboratory-bred L. stagnalis strains, derived from the same original population in The Netherlands. The two strains were reared in two different laboratories at the University of Calgary (C-strain) and at Brock University (B-strain) for many years and we found that they differed in their memory-forming ability. Specifically, the C-strain required only two training sessions to form long-term memory (LTM) whereas the B-strain required four sessions to form LTM. Additionally, the LTM formed by the B-strain persisted for a shorter amount of time than the memory formed by the C-strain. Thus, despite being derived from the same original population, the C- and B-strains have developed different memory-forming abilities. Next, we raised the two strains from embryos away from home (i.e. in the other laboratory) over two generations and assessed their memory-forming abilities. The B-strain reared and maintained at the University of Calgary demonstrated improved memory-forming ability within a single generation, while the C-strain reared at Brock University retained their normal LTM-forming ability across two subsequent generations. This suggests that local environmental factors may contribute to the behavioural divergence observed between these two laboratory-bred strains.