Five-minute exposure to a novel appetitive food substance is sufficient time for a microRNA-dependent long-term memory to form.

Abstract

The Garcia effect is a unique form of conditioned taste aversion which requires that a novel food stimulus be followed sometime later by a sickness state associated with the novel food stimulus. The long-lasting associative memory resulting from the Garcia effect ensures that organisms avoid toxic foods in their environment. Considering its ecological relevance, we sought to investigate whether a brief encounter (5 min) with a novel, appetitive food stimulus can cause a persisting long-term memory (LTM) to form that would in turn block the Garcia effect in Lymnaea stagnalis. Furthermore, we wanted to explore whether that persisting LTM could be modified by the alteration of microRNAs via an injection of poly-L-lysine (PLL), an inhibitor of Dicer-mediated microRNA biogenesis. The Garcia effect procedure involved two observations of feeding behavior in carrot separated by a heat stress (30 °C for 1 h). Exposing snails to carrot for 5 min caused a LTM to form and persist for 1 week, effectively preventing the Garcia effect in snails. In contrast, PLL injection following the 5-min carrot exposure impaired LTM formation, allowing the Garcia effect to occur. These results provide more insight into LTM formation and the Garcia effect, an important survival mechanism.