Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

The MAPK cascade is required for mammalian associative learning.

C M Atkins1, J C Selcher, J J Petraitis

  • 1Division of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.

Nature Neuroscience
|April 10, 1999
PubMed
Summary

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation in the hippocampus is crucial for learning and memory consolidation. Inhibiting MAPK

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

<i>Tet1</i> Isoforms Differentially Regulate Gene Expression, Synaptic Transmission, and Memory in the Mammalian Brain.

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience·2020
Same author

Age-dependent alterations in cAMP signaling contribute to synaptic plasticity deficits following traumatic brain injury.

Neuroscience·2012
Same author

Postinjury treatment with rolipram increases hemorrhage after traumatic brain injury.

Journal of neuroscience research·2012
Same author

Fluid-percussion brain injury induces changes in aquaporin channel expression.

Neuroscience·2011
Same author

Age-related changes in Arc transcription and DNA methylation within the hippocampus.

Neurobiology of aging·2010
Same author

Epigenetic mechanisms: a common theme in vertebrate and invertebrate memory formation.

Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS·2006

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cellular signaling
  • Molecular biology

Background:

  • Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) is key in cell division and differentiation.
  • MAPK activation in non-dividing cells is linked to hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP), a memory mechanism.
  • The role of MAPK in learning and memory in behaving animals requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the involvement of MAPK in learning and memory in behaving rats.
  • To determine if MAPK activation occurs during associative learning tasks in the hippocampus.
  • To assess the necessity of MAPK activation for fear conditioning consolidation.

Main Methods:

  • Rats underwent contextual fear conditioning, an associative learning task.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Hippocampal tissue was analyzed for MAPK activation post-learning.
  • Activity of other kinases (PKC, CaMKII) was assessed.
  • The effect of inhibiting MAPK kinase (MEK) on fear conditioning was evaluated.

    • Main Results:

    • MAPK activation significantly increased in the rat hippocampus following fear conditioning.
    • Protein kinase C and alpha-calcium/calmodulin protein kinase II also showed activation in the hippocampus after learning.
    • Inhibition of MEK, an upstream activator of MAPK, completely blocked fear conditioning.
    • These findings indicate MAPK activation is essential for learning consolidation.

    Conclusions:

    • Classical conditioning in mammals triggers MAPK activation within the hippocampus.
    • MAPK signaling is a necessary pathway for the consolidation of learned information.
    • This study highlights MAPK's critical role in the molecular mechanisms underlying learning and memory.