TY - JOUR T1 - Redundant Catecholamine Signaling Consolidates Fear Memory via Phospholipase C JF - The Journal of Neuroscience JO - J. Neurosci. SP - 1932 LP - 1941 DO - 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5231-11.2012 VL - 32 IS - 6 AU - Ming Ouyang AU - Matthew B. Young AU - Melissa M. Lestini AU - Keith Schutsky AU - Steven A. Thomas Y1 - 2012/02/08 UR - http://www.jneurosci.org/content/32/6/1932.abstract N2 - Memories for emotionally arousing experiences are typically vivid and persistent. The recurrent, intrusive memories of traumatic events in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are an extreme example. Stress-responsive neurotransmitters released during emotional arousal are proposed to enhance the consolidation of fear memory. These transmitters may include norepinephrine and epinephrine (NE/E) because stimulating β-adrenergic receptors shortly after training can enhance memory consolidation. However, mice lacking NE/E acquire and consolidate fear memory normally. Here, we show by using pharmacologic and genetic manipulations in mice and rats that NE/E are not essential for classical fear memory consolidation because signaling by the β2-adrenergic receptor is redundant with signaling by dopamine at the D5-dopaminergic receptor. The intracellular signaling that is stimulated by these receptors to promote consolidation uses distinct G proteins to redundantly activate phospholipase C. The results support recent evidence indicating that blocking β-adrenergic receptors alone shortly after trauma may not be sufficient to prevent PTSD. ER -