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Arc mRNA induction in striatal efferent neurons associated with response learning
D P Daberkow1, M D Riedy, R P Kesner
1Depts of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Program in Neuroscience, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
The European Journal of Neuroscience
|July 7, 2007
Summary
Activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc) expression in dorsal striatum neurons is crucial for motor learning. Differential Arc mRNA processing in striatonigral and striatopallidal neurons suggests distinct roles in T-maze reversal learning.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Molecular Biology
- Behavioral Neuroscience
Background:
- The dorsal striatum plays a key role in motor-response learning.
- The differential involvement of striatal efferent neuron populations in learning remains unclear.
- Activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated (Arc) protein is an immediate-early gene linked to synaptic plasticity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of Arc mRNA expression in distinct striatal efferent neuron populations during motor-response learning.
- To examine differential Arc mRNA processing in striatopallidal vs. striatonigral neurons during T-maze reversal learning.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a T-maze motor-response task with reversal learning in male Sprague-Dawley rats.
- Employed double-label fluorescent in situ hybridization to detect arc and preproenkephalin (PPE) mRNA.
- Compared arc mRNA expression in dorsomedial and dorsolateral striatum between reversal and continued-acquisition groups.
Main Results:
- A significant correlation between overall arc mRNA signal in the dorsomedial striatum and learning speed was observed in the reversal group.
- Rats reaching criterion faster showed higher arc mRNA expression.
- Differential cytoplasmic arc mRNA expression was noted in preproenkephalin-positive (striatopallidal) and preproenkephalin-negative (striatonigral) neurons, with more arc mRNA in PPE(-) neurons in behaviorally activated animals.
Conclusions:
- Arc expression in both striatonigral and striatopallidal efferent neurons contributes to synaptic plasticity in motor-response learning.
- Distinct subpopulations of striatal efferent neurons exhibit differential processing of arc mRNA, suggesting specialized roles in learning and memory consolidation.
