PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Katharina G. Achterberg AU - Gabriëlle H.S. Buitendijk AU - Martijn J. Kool AU - Susanna M.I. Goorden AU - Laura Post AU - Denise E. Slump AU - Alcino J. Silva AU - Geeske M. van Woerden AU - Steven A. Kushner AU - Ype Elgersma TI - Temporal and Region-Specific Requirements of αCaMKII in Spatial and Contextual Learning AID - 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0640-14.2014 DP - 2014 Aug 20 TA - The Journal of Neuroscience PG - 11180--11187 VI - 34 IP - 34 4099 - http://www.jneurosci.org/content/34/34/11180.short 4100 - http://www.jneurosci.org/content/34/34/11180.full SO - J. Neurosci.2014 Aug 20; 34 AB - The α isoform of the calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (αCaMKII) has been implicated extensively in molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying spatial and contextual learning in a wide variety of species. Germline deletion of Camk2a leads to severe deficits in spatial and contextual learning in mice. However, the temporal and region-specific requirements for αCaMKII have remained largely unexplored. Here, we generated conditional Camk2a mutants to examine the influence of spatially restricted and temporally controlled expression of αCaMKII. Forebrain-specific deletion of the Camk2a gene resulted in severe deficits in water maze and contextual fear learning, whereas mice with deletion restricted to the cerebellum learned normally. Furthermore, we found that temporally controlled deletion of the Camk2a gene in adult mice is as detrimental as germline deletion for learning and synaptic plasticity. Together, we confirm the requirement for αCaMKII in the forebrain, but not the cerebellum, in spatial and contextual learning. Moreover, we highlight the absolute requirement for intact αCaMKII expression at the time of learning.