| Abstract: | The ultrastructure of the Mauthner cells (M-cells) of goldfish fries was investigated under four different functional states: a) intact (native fishes), b) fatigue (intact fishes subjected to a prolonged vestibular stimulation), c) adapted (intact fishes after a prolonged training session of the daily short vestibular stimuli), d) excited (adapted fishes subjected to a prolonged vestibular stimulation). It has been first found that the fatigue of the M-cells may result in destructive changes of their cytoskeleton. Besides, in the afferent synapses of both adapted and excited M-cells numerous dense-cored vesicles were revealed near the active zones. The data show the neuronal cytoskeleton to be the central target susceptible to damage upon stimulation. The training leads presumably to stabilization of the cytoskeleton ultrastructure. The dense-cored vesicles were suggested to play an active role in the process. |
