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The Journal of Neuroscience, February 4, 2009, 29(5):1573-1579; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4763-08.2009

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Behavioral/Systems/Cognitive
The GABAA Receptor RDL Suppresses the Conditioned Stimulus Pathway for Olfactory Learning

Xu Liu,1 Monica E. Buchanan,2 Kyung-An Han,4,5 and Ronald L. Davis1,3

Departments of 1Molecular and Cellular Biology and 2Molecular and Human Genetics and 3Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, and 4Neuroscience and 5Genetics Graduate Programs, The Huck Institute and Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802

Correspondence should be addressed to Ronald L. Davis, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030. Email: rdavis{at}bcm.tmc.edu

Assigning a gene's function to specific pathways used for classical conditioning, such as conditioned stimulus (CS) and unconditioned stimulus (US) pathway, is important for understanding the fundamental molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying memory formation. Prior studies have shown that the GABA receptor RDL inhibits aversive olfactory learning via its role in the Drosophila mushroom bodies (MBs). Here, we describe the results of further behavioral tests to further define the pathway involvement of RDL. The expression level of Rdl in the MBs influenced both appetitive and aversive olfactory learning, suggesting that it functions by suppressing a common pathway used for both forms of olfactory learning. Rdl knock down failed to enhance learning in animals carrying mutations in genes of the cAMP signaling pathway, such as rutabaga and NF1, suggesting that RDL works up stream of these functions in CS/US integration. Finally, knocking down Rdl or over expressing the dopamine receptor dDA1 in the MBs enhanced olfactory learning, but no significant additional enhancement was detected with both manipulations. The combined data suggest that RDL suppresses olfactory learning via CS pathway involvement.

Key words: GABAA receptor; olfactory learning; Drosophila; conditioned stimulus; mushroom body; reward

Received Oct. 3, 2008; revised Dec. 29, 2008; accepted Jan. 5, 2009.

Correspondence should be addressed to Ronald L. Davis, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030. Email: rdavis{at}bcm.tmc.edu






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