Expression of Fos and Jun Proteins Following Passive Avoidance Training in the Day-Old Chick

It has been shown previously that the immediate-early genes, c-fos and c-jun mRNA are induced in the 1-day-old chick forebrain after one-trial passive avoidance training in which chicks learn to avoid pecking at a bitter-tasting bead. Here, we have studied the expression of their proteins using antibodies to Fos and Jun. Western blotting disclosed two immunoreactive bands for the anti-Fos antibody (47 and 54 kD) and two immunoreactive bands for the anti-Jun antibody (39 and 54 kD). Two hours post-training there was an increase in the number of Fos-positive stained nuclei in right intermediate medial hyperstriatum ventrale (IMHV) (P < 0.01), left IMHV (P < 0.05), right lobus parolfactorius (LPO) (P < 0.025) and left LPO (P < 0.05) of birds trained on the bitter bead compared with controls that had pecked a water-coated bead. Staining for Jun protein was significantly greater in the right LPO of trained chicks (P < 0.01). Other forebrain regions showed no increase over quiet control levels. The findings are discussed in the context of the cascade of events involved in passive avoidance memory consolidation in the day-old chick.