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Enriching the environment of αCaMKIIT286A mutant mice reveals that LTD occurs in memory processing but must be subsequently reversed by LTP
- Source :
- Learning & Memory. 14:75-83
- Publication Year :
- 2007
- Publisher :
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 2007.
-
Abstract
- αCaMKIIT286A mutant mice lack long-term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampal CA1 region and are impaired in spatial learning. In situ hybridization confirms that the mutant mice show the same developmental expression of αCaMKII as their wild-type littermates. A simple hypothesis would suggest that if LTP is a substrate for learning, then enriching the environment should cause learning-dependent changes in wild-type mice that have LTP. Such changes would not be seen in LTP-deficient αCaMKIIT286A mutants. Excitatory synaptic currents in CA1 neurons, recorded with patch clamp in brain slices, revealed that enrichment induces an increase in glutamate release probability and a decreased miniature current amplitude. Confocal microscopy also showed dendritic spine density to be reduced. However, contrary to the hypothesis above, these enrichment-induced changes occur only in the mutant mice and are not detectable in wild-type littermates. We suggest that enrichment induces αCaMKII-independent changes in both wild-type and mutant mice. Such changes may be subsequently reversed in wild-type animals via αCaMKII-dependent mechanisms, such as LTP. Reversal of plasticity has long been hypothesized to be essential for the hippocampus to maintain its role in memory processing. The inability to reverse plasticity in αCaMKIIT286A mutant mice would then result in impairment of spatial learning.
- Subjects :
- Aging
Dendritic spine
Cognitive Neuroscience
Long-Term Potentiation
Hippocampus
Alpha (ethology)
Environment
In Vitro Techniques
Hippocampal formation
Synaptic Transmission
Mice
Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
Memory
Animals
Point Mutation
Tissue Distribution
RNA, Messenger
Chemistry
Adenine
Long-Term Synaptic Depression
Research
Glutamate receptor
Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials
Long-term potentiation
Dendrites
Mice, Mutant Strains
Play and Playthings
Cell biology
Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology
nervous system
Animals, Newborn
Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases
Synaptic plasticity
Silent synapse
Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2
Neuroscience
Thymine
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 15495485 and 10720502
- Volume :
- 14
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Learning & Memory
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....8686bc9db3a2af38534e1ef2215142f4