QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

HOME  |   SEARCH  |   ARCHIVE  |   SUBSCRIBE  |   CONTACT  |   HELP

The Journal of Neuroscience, October 29, 2008, 28(44):11401-11408; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4115-08.2008

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Supplemental Data Submit an eLetter Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (2) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kheirbek, M. A. Articles by Zhuang, X. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Kheirbek, M. A. Articles by Zhuang, X.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Behavioral/Systems/Cognitive
A cAMP Pathway Underlying Reward Prediction in Associative Learning

Mazen A. Kheirbek,¹ Jeff A. Beeler,² Yoshihiro Ishikawa,³ and Xiaoxi Zhuang²

¹Committee on Neurobiology and ²Department of Neurobiology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, and ³Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey 07103

Correspondence should be addressed to Xiaoxi Zhuang, Department of Neurobiology, The University of Chicago, 924 East 57th Street, Knapp R214, Chicago, IL 60637. Email: xzhuang{at}bsd.uchicago.edu

In associative learning, animals learn to associate external cues or their own actions with appetitive or aversive outcomes. Although the dopamine (DA) system and the striatum/nucleus accumbens have been implicated in both the pavlovian and instrumental form of associative learning, whether specific neuronal signaling mechanisms underlie one form or the other is unknown. Here, we report that the striatum-enriched isoform of adenylyl cyclase (AC), AC5, is selectively required for appetitive pavlovian learning. Mice with genetic deletion of AC5 (AC5KO) acquired instrumental responding yet were unable to use cues that predicted reward delivery. The specificity of this deficit was confirmed by an inability of AC5KO mice to learn a simple appetitive pavlovian conditioning task. Conversely, AC5KO mice showed intact aversive pavlovian learning, suggesting the deficit was specific for learning about appetitive outcomes. Our results suggest that AC5 is a critical component of DA-dependent strengthening of stimulus–reward contingencies.

Key words: pavlovian conditioning; dopamine; instrumental conditioning; striatum; adenylyl cyclase; reward prediction

---

Received Aug. 28, 2008; accepted Sept. 23, 2008.

Correspondence should be addressed to Xiaoxi Zhuang, Department of Neurobiology, The University of Chicago, 924 East 57th Street, Knapp R214, Chicago, IL 60637. Email: xzhuang{at}bsd.uchicago.edu

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. A. Kheirbek, J. P. Britt, J. A. Beeler, Y. Ishikawa, D. S. McGehee, and X. Zhuang Adenylyl Cyclase Type 5 Contributes to Corticostriatal Plasticity and Striatum-Dependent Learning J. Neurosci., September 30, 2009; 29(39): 12115 - 12124. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home  |   Search  |   Archive  |   Subscribe  |   Contact  |   Help