 |
Previous Article | Next Article 
The Journal of Neuroscience, October 15, 1998, 18(20):8534-8538
Decreased Odor Avoidance after Electric Shock in
Drosophila Mutants Biases Learning and Memory Tests
Thomas
Préat
Institut Alfred Fessard, Centre National de la Recherche
Scientifique, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
The Drosophila mutants amnesiac,
dunce (dnc), and rutabaga
were isolated after associative conditioning tests, during which animals were trained to associate the presence of an odor with that of
electric shocks (ES). In the absence of conditioning, the odor
avoidance (OA) of these mutants was shown to be normal, indicating that
their poor associative conditioning performance was attributable to
specific learning or memory deficits. However, I show that the
OA of the mutants is greatly decreased after their exposure to ES. This
effect can last for hours. These results strongly suggest that part of
the defect displayed by these mutants in associative conditioning tests
does not correspond to a learning or memory deficit but might arise
from abnormal sensitivity to stressful stimuli. I looked at the OA
after ES of two previously characterized dnc
mutants. Df(1)N79f specifically
decreases Dnc expression in the mushroom bodies, leading to a normal
level of learning but decreased memory.
Df(1)N79f mutants displayed a normal
OA after ES. Df(1)N64j15 affects the
entire brain expression of Dnc, leading to decreased learning and
memory. Df(1)N64j15 animals showed a
strong decrease of their OA after ES. Thus, the lack of Dnc
"general" expression is most likely responsible for the OA defect,
which would be responsible for the apparent learning defect after
conditioning. In contrast, the Dnc phosphodiesterase accumulated in the
mushroom bodies would be involved specifically in memory formation.
Key words:
Drosophila melanogaster; learning and memory
mutants; cAMP; stress sensitivity; odor avoidance; conditioning
controls
Copyright © 1998 Society for Neuroscience 0270-6474/98/18208534-05$05.00/0
This article has been cited by other articles:

|
 |

|
 |
 
S. Knapek, B. Gerber, and H. Tanimoto
Synapsin is selectively required for anesthesia-sensitive memory
Learn. Mem.,
February 13, 2010;
17(2):
76 - 79.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
A. Yarali, S. Ehser, F. Z. Hapil, J. Huang, and B. Gerber
Odour intensity learning in fruit flies
Proc R Soc B,
October 7, 2009;
276(1672):
3413 - 3420.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
A. Moressis, A. R. Friedrich, E. Pavlopoulos, R. L. Davis, and E. M. C. Skoulakis
A Dual Role for the Adaptor Protein DRK in Drosophila Olfactory Learning and Memory
J. Neurosci.,
February 25, 2009;
29(8):
2611 - 2625.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
P. Masek and M. Heisenberg
Distinct memories of odor intensity and quality in Drosophila
PNAS,
October 14, 2008;
105(41):
15985 - 15990.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
B. Michels, S. Diegelmann, H. Tanimoto, I. Schwenkert, E. Buchner, and B. Gerber
A role for Synapsin in associative learning: The Drosophila larva as a study case
Learn. Mem.,
May 1, 2005;
12(3):
224 - 231.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
A. Mershin, E. Pavlopoulos, O. Fitch, B. C. Braden, D. V. Nanopoulos, and E. M.C. Skoulakis
Learning and Memory Deficits Upon TAU Accumulation in Drosophila Mushroom Body Neurons
Learn. Mem.,
May 1, 2004;
11(3):
277 - 287.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
O. Stork, S. Stork, H.-C. Pape, and K. Obata
Identification of Genes Expressed in the Amygdala During the Formation of Fear Memory
Learn. Mem.,
July 1, 2001;
8(4):
209 - 219.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
C. D. O. Beck, B. Schroeder, and R. L. Davis
Learning Performance of Normal and Mutant Drosophila after Repeated Conditioning Trials with Discrete Stimuli
J. Neurosci.,
April 15, 2000;
20(8):
2944 - 2953.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|
|