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Gene expression profiles during long‐term memory consolidation
Author(s) -
Cavallaro Sebastiano,
Schreurs Bernard G.,
Zhao Weiqin,
D'Agata Velia,
Alkon Daniel L.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
european journal of neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.346
H-Index - 206
eISSN - 1460-9568
pISSN - 0953-816X
DOI - 10.1046/j.0953-816x.2001.01543.x
Subject(s) - gene expression , complementary dna , gene , biology , stimulus (psychology) , neuroscience , long term memory , unconditioned stimulus , in situ hybridization , dna microarray , microarray , classical conditioning , conditioning , genetics , psychology , cognition , statistics , mathematics , psychotherapist
Changes in gene expression have been postulated to occur during long‐term memory (LTM). We used high‐density cDNA microarrays to assess changes in gene expression 24 h after rabbit eye blink conditioning. Paired animals were presented with a 400 ms, 1000 Hz, 82 dB tone conditioned stimulus that coterminated with a 100 ms, 60 Hz, 2 mA electrical pulse unconditioned stimulus. Unpaired animals received the same conditioned and unconditioned stimuli but presented in an explicitly unpaired manner. Differences in expression levels between paired and unpaired animals in the hippocampus and cerebellar lobule HVI, two regions activated during eye blink conditioning, indicated the involvement of novel genes as well as the participation of previously implicated genes. Patterns of gene expression were validated by in situ hybridization. Surprisingly, the data suggest that an underlying mechanism of LTM involves widespread decreased, rather than increased, gene expression. These results demonstrate the feasibility and utility of a cDNA microarray system as a tool for dissecting the molecular mechanisms of associative memory.