Pavlovian fear conditioning in rats is a powerful model system currently being used to study memory at the molecular, cellular, and systems level. Recent work with this procedure indicates that the formation of long-term memory for fear conditioning requires the synthesis of new mRNA and protein in the amygdala and hippocampus. Furthermore, it appears that after these memories are retrieved from storage they go through a second time period during which protein synthesis is required. Our data indicate that while initial learning requires both mRNA and protein synthesis in amygdala neurons, the """"""""stabilization"""""""" of memory after retrieval does not require mRNA transcription. This suggests that while initial memory formation requires nuclear transcription, the modification of synapses after retrieval may involve dendridic protein synthesis using local mRNA. We also provide evidence showing that mRNA and/or protein synthesis is required for new learning not only in the amygdala, but also in structures throughout the neural circuit active during fear conditioning. The experiments proposed here will evaluate the relative contribution of mRNA transcription and protein translation to memory consolidation and """"""""reconsolidation"""""""" at multiple brain sites including the amygdala, hippocampus, medial geniculate nucleus of the thalamus, and periaqueductal gray region of the midbrain. We will describe the relative post-training time course of these processes at several sites and begin to explore specific functional contributions of each brain area to learning. The results will provide important new insights into the mechanisms of memory formation and long-term stability at the molecular and systems level.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01MH069558-05
Application #
7574582
Study Section
Neurobiology of Learning and Memory Study Section (LAM)
Program Officer
Vicentic, Aleksandra
Project Start
2005-04-20
Project End
2010-06-30
Budget Start
2009-02-01
Budget End
2010-06-30
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
2009
Total Cost
$223,012
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
627906399
City
Milwaukee
State
WI
Country
United States
Zip Code
53201
Cullen, Patrick K; Ferrara, Nicole C; Pullins, Shane E et al. (2017) Context memory formation requires activity-dependent protein degradation in the hippocampus. Learn Mem 24:589-596
Ferrara, Nicole C; Cullen, Patrick K; Pullins, Shane P et al. (2017) Input from the medial geniculate nucleus modulates amygdala encoding of fear memory discrimination. Learn Mem 24:414-421
Kwapis, Janine L; Jarome, Timothy J; Ferrara, Nicole C et al. (2017) Updating Procedures Can Reorganize the Neural Circuit Supporting a Fear Memory. Neuropsychopharmacology 42:1688-1697
Jarome, Timothy J; Ferrara, Nicole C; Kwapis, Janine L et al. (2016) CaMKII regulates proteasome phosphorylation and activity and promotes memory destabilization following retrieval. Neurobiol Learn Mem 128:103-9
Kwapis, Janine L; Jarome, Timothy J; Lee, Jonathan L et al. (2015) The retrosplenial cortex is involved in the formation of memory for context and trace fear conditioning. Neurobiol Learn Mem 123:110-6
Balderston, Nicholas L; Schultz, Douglas H; Hopkins, Lauren et al. (2015) Functionally distinct amygdala subregions identified using DTI and high-resolution fMRI. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 10:1615-22
Kwapis, Janine L; Helmstetter, Fred J (2014) Does PKM(zeta) maintain memory? Brain Res Bull 105:36-45
Gilmartin, Marieke R; Balderston, Nicholas L; Helmstetter, Fred J (2014) Prefrontal cortical regulation of fear learning. Trends Neurosci 37:455-64
Balderston, Nicholas L; Schultz, Douglas H; Baillet, Sylvain et al. (2014) Rapid amygdala responses during trace fear conditioning without awareness. PLoS One 9:e96803
Kwapis, Janine L; Jarome, Timothy J; Helmstetter, Fred J (2014) The role of the medial prefrontal cortex in trace fear extinction. Learn Mem 22:39-46

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