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Down regulation of cerebellar memory related gene-1 following classical conditioning

V D'Agata1, B G Schreurs, A Pascale

  • 1Institute of Neurological Sciences, Italian National Research Council, Catania, Italy.

Genes, Brain, and Behavior
|September 5, 2003
PubMed

Insights

A novel gene, cerebellar memory related gene-1, is down-regulated in the cerebellum following learning. This WD-repeat protein may play a role in memory formation and regulation.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Classical conditioning of the rabbit nictitating membrane response is a well-established model for studying learning and memory.
  • Microarray analysis identified a novel gene, cerebellar memory related gene-1 (CMRG-1), as differentially expressed following this learning paradigm.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To isolate and characterize the mRNA of CMRG-1.
  • To investigate the expression pattern of CMRG-1 in the brain.
  • To determine the role of CMRG-1 in learning and memory.

Main Methods:

  • Quantitative RT-PCR to measure mRNA expression levels.
  • In-situ hybridization to determine transcript localization in the brain.
  • Bioinformatic analysis to predict protein function based on its domains.

Main Results:

  • CMRG-1 mRNA expression was significantly reduced in cerebellar lobule HVI of rabbits after classical conditioning compared to controls.
  • CMRG-1 mRNA levels were not significantly altered in the hippocampus.
  • The mouse CMRG-1 gene encodes a 485-amino acid protein with potential post-translational modification sites and five WD-repeat domains, suggesting roles in protein-protein interactions and regulation.
  • In-situ hybridization revealed highly localized CMRG-1 expression in the mouse brain, with the highest levels in the cerebellum, hippocampus, and cortex.

Conclusions:

  • CMRG-1 is a novel gene encoding a WD-repeat protein.
  • CMRG-1 expression is down-regulated in the cerebellum as a result of learning and memory formation.
  • This gene may be involved in the neural mechanisms underlying associative learning.

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