Synaptic plasticity and NO-cGMP-PKG signaling coordinately regulate ERK-driven gene expression in the lateral amygdala and in the auditory thalamus following Pavlovian fear conditioning
In: Learning & Memory, Jg. 17 (2010-04-01), Heft 4, S. 221-235
Online
serialPeriodical
Zugriff:
We have recently hypothesized that NO-cGMP-PKG signaling in the lateral nucleus of the amygdala (LA) during auditory fear conditioning coordinately regulates ERK-driven transcriptional changes in both auditory thalamic (MGm/PIN) and LA neurons that serve to promote pre- and postsynaptic alterations at thalamo-LA synapses, respectively. In the present series of experiments, we show that N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)-driven synaptic plasticity and NO-cGMP-PKG signaling in the LA regulate the training-induced expression of ERK and the ERK-driven immediate early genes (IEGs) Arc/Arg3.1, c-Fos, and EGR-1 in the LA and the MGm/PIN. Rats receiving intra-LA infusion of the NR2B selective antagonist Ifenprodil, the NOS inhibitor 7-Ni, or the PKG inhibitor Rp-8-Br-PET-cGMPS exhibited significant decreases in ERK activation and in the training-induced expression of all three IEGs in the LA and MGm/PIN while intra-LA infusion of the PKG activator 8-Br-cGMP had the opposite effect. Remarkably, those rats given intra-LA infusion of the membrane impermeable NO scavenger c-PTIO exhibited significant decreases in ERK activation and ERK-driven IEG expression in the MGm/PIN, but not in the LA. Together with our previous experiments, these results suggest that synaptic plasticity and the NO-cGMP-PKG signaling pathway promote fear memory consolidation, in part, by regulating ERK-driven transcription in both the LA and the MGm/PIN. They further suggest that synaptic plasticity in the LA during fear conditioning promotes ERK-driven transcription in MGm/PIN neurons via NO-driven "retrograde signaling."
Titel: |
Synaptic plasticity and NO-cGMP-PKG signaling coordinately regulate ERK-driven gene expression in the lateral amygdala and in the auditory thalamus following Pavlovian fear conditioning
|
---|---|
Autor/in / Beteiligte Person: | Ota, Kristie T. ; Monsey, Melissa S. ; Wu, Melissa S. ; Young, Grace J. ; Schafe, Glenn E. |
Link: | |
Zeitschrift: | Learning & Memory, Jg. 17 (2010-04-01), Heft 4, S. 221-235 |
Veröffentlichung: | 2010 |
Medientyp: | serialPeriodical |
ISSN: | 1072-0502 (print) ; 1549-5485 (print) |
Sonstiges: |
|