The Journal of Neuroscience, 0000, 20:RC112:1-5
RAPID COMMUNICATION
Phosphorylated cAMP Response Element-Binding Protein as a
Molecular Marker of Memory Processing in Rat Hippocampus: Effect of
Novelty
Haydée
Viola1,
Melina
Furman1,
Luciana A. I.
Izquierdo2,
Mariana
Alonso1,
Daniela M.
Barros2,
Marcia M.
de
Souza2,
Iván
Izquierdo2, and
Jorge H.
Medina1
1 Instituto de Biologia Celular y Neurociencias,
Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Paraguay 2155, piso
3, 1121 Buenos Aires, Argentina, and 2 Centro de Memoria,
Departamento de Bioquimica, Instituto de Biociencias, Universidade
Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
From mollusks to mammals the activation of cAMP response
element-binding protein (CREB) appears to be an important step in the
formation of long-term memory (LTM). Here we show that a 5 min exposure
to a novel environment (open field) 1 hr after acquisition of a
one-trial inhibitory avoidance training hinders both the formation of
LTM for the avoidance task and the increase in the phosphorylation
state of hippocampal Ser 133 CREB [phosphorylated CREB (pCREB)]
associated with the avoidance training. To determine whether this LTM
deficit is attributable to the reduced pCREB level, rats were
bilaterally cannulated to deliver Sp-adenosine 3',5'-cyclic
monophosphothioate (Sp-cAMPS), an activator of PKA. Infusion of
Sp-Adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphothioate Sp-cAMPS to CA1 region
increased hippocampal pCREB levels and restored normal LTM of avoidance
learning in rats exposed to novelty. Moreover, a 5 min exposure to the
open field 10 min before the avoidance training interferes with the
amnesic effect of a second 5 min exposure to the open field 1 hr after
avoidance training and restores the hippocampal levels of pCREB. In
contrast, the avoidance training-associated activation of extracellular
signal-regulated kinases (p42 and p44 mitogen-activated protein
kinases) in the hippocampus is not altered by novelty. Together,
these findings suggest that novelty regulates LTM formation by
modulating the phosphorylation state of CREB in the hippocampus.
Key words:
phosphorylated CREB; hippocampus; avoidance training; memory processing; novelty; amnesia
Copyright © 0000 Society for Neuroscience 0270-6474/00/$05.00/0