Projects | Leise Research Group

Research

Tritia obsoleta, the East Coast Mud Snail, is a Model Organism for the Study of Molluscan Metamorphosis

Aggregations of the mud snail Tritia obsoleta on the coastal mudflat at low tide…


The Larval Apical Ganglion is Lost During Metamorphosis

Ganglia of the nervous system of a competent larva include the apical ganglion….


Nitric Oxide Synthase is Produced by Cells of the Larval Apical Ganglion.

Transverse section through part of the central nervous system of a competent larva of Tritia obsoleta displays intense…


The Neurotransmitter Serotonin (5-HT) Induces Metamorphosis in Larval Tritia obsoleta

Injection of 5-HT and the 5-HT agonist α-methyl 5-HT induce larval metamorphosis….


NO Suppresses Metamorphosis in Larval Tritia obsoleta

Injection of the NOS inhibitor L-NMMA triggers metamorphosis in competent larvae of Tritia obsoleta…


Cells of the Larval Apical Ganglion Produce NO

NOS-like immunoreactivity is expressed in neurons of the apical ganglion in the brain of a competent larva…


The Intracellular Second Messenger cGMP May Be Involved in the Initiation of Larval Metamorphosis in Tritia

NS-2028, an inhibitor of soluble guanylyl cyclase activity, promoted serotonergically-induced metamorphosis after 24 hours of incubation…


The Larval Apical Ganglion is Lost During Metamorphosis Through a Form of Programmed Cell Death

Two nuclei, positive for the TUNEL assay in the apical ganglion of a larva with partial velar lobes, 24 hours after induction with 5-HT…


NO May Control the Rate of Neurogenesis in Larval Tritia obsoleta

The birth of new neurons in the central nervous system declines during planktonic larval development…


Levels of NOS Gene Expression Decrease During Larval Metamorphosis

nNOS RNA levels drop 6 hours after metamorphosis is induced with serotonin (5-HT)…


NOS Protein Levels Decrease During Larval Metamorphosis in Tritia obsoleta

Levels of NOS protein decrease during metamorphosis but return to previous levels after metamorphosis is completed…


γ-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) is an Inhibitory Neurotransmitter in Larval Metamorphosis in Tritia obsoleta

GABA inhibits serotonergically induced metamorphosis in competent larva of Tritia obsoleta