McGauran, Anne-Marie T. and Moore, J. Bernadette and Madsen, Declan and Barry, Daniel and O'Dea, Shirley and Mahon, Bernard P. and Commins, Sean (2008) A Possible Role for Protein Synthesis, Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase, and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Long-Term Spatial Memory Retention in the Water Maze. Behavioral Neuroscience, 122 (4). pp. 805-815. ISSN 0735-7044

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Abstract

Hippocampal protein synthesis is dependent upon a number of different molecular and cellular mechanisms that act together to make previously labile memories more stable and resistant to disruption. Both brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and extracellular signal-Regulated kinase (ERK) are known to play an important role in protein synthesis-dependent memory consolidation, via the mitogen-activated protein-kinase (MAP-K) signaling pathway during the transcription phase of protein synthesis. The current study investigates the influence of protein synthesis inhibition (PSI) by cycloheximide on spatial learning and memory. In an initial experiment, the authors utilized two doses of cycloheximide (0.5 mg/kg and 1.0 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) to determine the dose at which long-term (>24 hours) memories are impaired. A second experiment was designed to investigate the effect of PSI on the formation of cue-platform associations in the watermaze, and on BDNF and ERK expression in the hippocampus. At the higher dose (1.0 mg/kg) cycloheximide resulted in impaired retention of the water maze. BDNF and ERK expression was also down-regulated in animals injected with this dose of cycloheximide. Our results demonstrate a role of protein synthesis in spatial memory retention, along with a possible relationship between protein synthesis and hippocampal BDNF/ERK expression.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	This article may not exactly replicate the final version published in the APA journal. It is not the copy of record.
Keywords:	memory consolidation; protein synthesis; BDNF; ERK; hippocampus;
Academic Unit:	Faculty of Science and Engineering > Biology
Item ID:	7159
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1037/0735-7044.122.4.805
Depositing User:	Bernard Mahon
Date Deposited:	05 Jul 2016 13:43
Journal or Publication Title:	Behavioral Neuroscience
Publisher:	American Psychological Association
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	http://psycnet.apa.org
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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