RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Wnt Signaling in Amygdala-Dependent Learning and Memory
JF The Journal of Neuroscience
JO J. Neurosci.
FD Society for Neuroscience
SP 13057
OP 13067
DO 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3248-11.2011
VO 31
IS 37
A1 Kimberly A. Maguschak
A1 Kerry J. Ressler
YR 2011
UL http://www.jneurosci.org/content/31/37/13057.abstract
AB In addition to its role in cellular development and proliferation, there are emerging in vitro data implicating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in synaptic plasticity. Yet in vivo studies have not examined whether Wnt activity is required for learning and memory. In the amygdala during fear memory formation, we found that many Wnt-signaling genes were dynamically regulated, with an immediate decrease, followed by an eventual normalization during memory consolidation. This rapid decrease in Wnt mRNA was confirmed with individual quantitative PCR and in situ hybridization. We then manipulated Wnt signaling with a specific peptide antagonist (Dkk-1) or agonist (Wnt1) injected stereotaxically into the adult amygdala during fear learning. We found that neither manipulation had an effect on locomotion, anxiety, fear acquisition, or fear expression. However, both Wnt modulators prevented long-term fear memory consolidation without affecting short-term memory. Dkk-1 and Wnt infusions had destabilizing, but opposite, effects on the requisite β-catenin/cadherin dynamic interactions that occur during consolidation. These data suggest that dynamic modulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling during consolidation is critical for the structural basis of long-term memory formation.