Protein synthesis-dependent reactivation of a contextual conditioned reflex in the common snail.

We report here a study of the effects of blockade of protein synthesis with anisomycin during reactivation of a contextual conditioned reflex in the common snail. The amplitudes of the defensive reactions of snails to standard tactile stimulation before training were identical in two conditions: 1) testing of responses of snails fixed by the shell to a plastic ball floating in water and 2) on the surface of the terrarium glass. After applying electric shocks to the snails' skin for 5 days, a significant difference in responses reflecting the formation of a contextual conditioned reflex was seen in only one of the contexts. Placing trained snails in the same context (reminding) two days after training with simultaneous injection of anisomycin led to significant weakening of training, while control injections of physiological saline produced no such changes. These data suggest that the mechanisms of memory consolidation after training and reminding are not identical.