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Microarray assays reveal differential expression of hippocampal and amygdalal genes during contextual fear conditioning
Author(s) -
PerroneBizzozero Nora,
Yang Y.,
Merhege M.,
Bolognani F.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of neurochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.75
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1471-4159
pISSN - 0022-3042
DOI - 10.1046/j.1471-4159.81.s1.10_3.x
Subject(s) - amygdala , hippocampal formation , biology , neuroscience , hippocampus , gene expression , synapsin i , microbiology and biotechnology , gene , genetics , synaptic vesicle , vesicle , membrane
The hippocampus plays an important role in contextual learning. However, the gene expression alterations that subserve this function remain to be fully elucidated. We have previously shown that the levels of GAP‐43 and its mRNA‐binding protein, the ELAV‐like protein HuD, are increased in the hippocampus during contextual fear conditioning (CFC). In this study, we sought to identify additional changes in gene expression in the hippocampus and amygdala of CFC rats. Animals were subjected to a single trial CFC paradigm involving a paired presentation of a tone and footshock in a novel environment. Both untrained (naïve) rats and animals exposed to the shock followed by an unpaired presentation of the context and tone served as nonlearning controls. Twenty‐four hours after training, the hippocampus and amygdala of each animal were removed, RNAs were isolated and subjected to microarray analysis. Besides GAP‐43 and HuD, we found 150 neural genes in the hippocampal formation that were increased by at least 1.5 fold relative to controls. These include neurotrophic factors (e.g. BDNF), synaptic proteins (e.g. SNAP‐25, syntaxin), neurotransmitter receptors and transporters (e.g. glutamate transporter), transcription factors (e.g. zif268), cytoskeletal proteins (e.g. Arc, MAP2), cell cycle proteins (cyclins D1, D3 and E), signalling molecules (e.g, PKA, ERK2) and others (ion channel Kv9.3). In addition, we found 25 genes that were down‐regulated in the same tissues. Finally, a number of neuronal‐specific mRNAs were found to show differential expression in the amygdala after CFC. Acknowledgements: Supported by NIH NS30255 and AA11336 to NPB.