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Spatial memory dissociations in mice lacking GluR1

Nature Neuroscience volume 5, pages 868–873 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

Gene-targeted mice lacking the AMPA receptor subunit GluR1 (GluR-A) have deficits in hippocampal CA3–CA1 long-term potentiation. We now report that they showed normal spatial reference learning and memory, both on the hidden platform watermaze task and on an appetitively motivated Y-maze task. In contrast, they showed a specific spatial working memory impairment during tests of non-matching to place on both the Y-maze and an elevated T-maze. In addition, successful watermaze and Y-maze reference memory performance depended on hippocampal function in both wild-type and mutant mice; bilateral hippocampal lesions profoundly impaired performance on both tasks, to a similar extent in both groups. These results suggest that different forms of hippocampus-dependent spatial memory involve different aspects of neural processing within the hippocampus.

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Figure 1: GluR1−/− mice are impaired on a spatial working memory task but not a non-spatial reference memory task on the T-maze.
Figure 2: GluR1−/− mice show normal spatial reference memory on the elevated Y-maze.
Figure 3: GluR1−/− mice acquire a standard spatial reference memory version of the Morris watermaze task.
Figure 4: GluR1−/− and wild-type mice with bilateral cytotoxic hippocampal lesions are impaired during re-acquisition of the standard spatial reference memory version of the Morris watermaze task.
Figure 5: GluR1−/− and wild-type mice with bilateral cytotoxic hippocampal lesions are impaired during re-acquisition of the standard spatial reference memory version of the elevated Y-maze task.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by a European Union (E.U.) Framework V grant (QLG 3-CT-1999-01022). The authors would like to thank G. Daubney for assistance with the histology.

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Author notes

  1. D. Reisel and D. M. Bannerman: The first two authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3UD, UK

    D. Reisel, D. M. Bannerman, W. B. Schmitt, R. M. J. Deacon & J. N. P. Rawlins

  2. Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK

    J. Flint

  3. Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max-Planck Institute of Medical Research, Jahnstrasse 29, Heidelberg, D-69120, Germany

    T. Borchardt & P. H. Seeburg

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  1. D. Reisel
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Correspondence to D. M. Bannerman.

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Reisel, D., Bannerman, D., Schmitt, W. et al. Spatial memory dissociations in mice lacking GluR1. Nat Neurosci 5, 868–873 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn910

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