TY - JOUR T1 - Specific and Differential Activation of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Cascades by Unfamiliar Taste in the Insular Cortex of the Behaving Rat JF - The Journal of Neuroscience JO - J. Neurosci. SP - 10037 LP - 10044 DO - 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.18-23-10037.1998 VL - 18 IS - 23 AU - Diego E. Berman AU - Shoshi Hazvi AU - Kobi Rosenblum AU - Rony Seger AU - Yadin Dudai Y1 - 1998/12/01 UR - http://www.jneurosci.org/content/18/23/10037.abstract N2 - Rats were given to drink an unfamiliar taste solution under conditions that result in long-term memory of that taste. The insular cortex, which contains the taste cortex, was then removed and assayed for activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades by using antibodies to the activated forms of various MAPKs. Extracellular responsive kinase 1–2 (ERK1–2) in the cortical homogenate was significantly activated within <30 min of drinking the taste solution, without alteration in the total level of the ERK1–2 proteins. The activity subsided to basal levels within <60 min. In contrast, ERK1–2 was not activated when the taste was made familiar. The effect of the unfamiliar taste was specific to the insular cortex. Jun N-terminal kinase 1–2 (JNK1–2) was activated by drinking the taste but with a delayed time course, whereas the activity of Akt kinase and p38MAPK remained unchanged. Elk-1, a member of the ternary complex factor and an ERK/JNK downstream substrate, was activated with a time course similar to that of ERK1–2. Microinjection of a reversible inhibitor of MAPK/ERK kinase into the insular cortex shortly before exposure to the novel taste in a conditioned taste aversion training paradigm attenuated long-term taste aversion memory without significantly affecting short-term memory or the sensory, motor, and motivational faculties required to express long-term taste aversion memory. It was concluded that ERK and JNK are specifically and differentially activated in the insular cortex after exposure to a novel taste, and that this activation is required for consolidation of long-term taste memory. ER -