Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 22, 2026
07:43
Immunohistochemical Visualization of Hippocampal Neuron Activity After Spatial Learning in a Mouse Model of Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Published on: May 12, 2015
Learning and memory depend on fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 functioning in hippocampus.
Hanna E Stevens1, Ginger Y Jiang, Michael L Schwartz
1Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
Biological Psychiatry
|May 1, 2012
Summary
Fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) is crucial for hippocampal development and function. This study reveals FGFR2
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling regulates neural stem cell self-renewal during embryonic development.
- FGF receptor 2 (FGFR2) is vital for cortical neuron production but its hippocampal role remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of FGFR2 in the hippocampus during development and adulthood.
- To elucidate the cellular mechanisms underlying FGFR2's function in hippocampal memory.
Main Methods:
- Utilized embryonic and inducible knockout mouse models to study FGFR2 function.
- Assessed spatial memory using the water maze and analyzed hippocampal cell populations.
Main Results:
- Embryonic FGFR2 knockout reduced hippocampal volume and impaired spatial memory.
- Spatial reference memory correlated with parvalbumin+ interneuron numbers; short-term learning with immature dentate gyrus neurons.
- FGFR2 deficiency in adulthood impaired short-term learning and neurogenesis.
Conclusions:
- FGFR2 plays a dual role in hippocampal memory formation.
- Short-term learning depends on FGFR2-mediated neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus.
- Long-term reference memory relies on FGFR2-dependent parvalbumin interneurons.
Related Concept Videos
01:09Introduction to Fibroblasts
Rudolph Virchow discovered spindle-shaped cells called fibroblasts in 1858. Inactive fibroblasts, called fibrocytes, become activated by various stimuli, such as growth factors and inflammatory cytokines. Activated fibroblasts play a crucial role in wound healing, inflammation, formation of new blood vessels, and cancer progression. Uncontrolled activation of fibroblasts results in fibrosis, the excess deposition of fibrous tissue, which can lead to scarring and affect normal organs. This...
01:19Role of Hippocampus in Memory
The hippocampus, a critical brain structure, plays an essential role in memory processing, particularly in the formation and retrieval of memory. This small, seahorse-shaped region is located within the medial temporal lobe, with one hippocampus in each brain hemisphere. Experimental studies involving lesions in the hippocampi of rats have demonstrated significant impairments in tasks such as object recognition and maze navigation, indicating the hippocampus involvement in both recognition and...
01:14Role of Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex in Memory
The cerebellum, while traditionally associated with motor control, also plays a crucial role in memory, particularly in procedural memory, which involves learning motor tasks that become automatic through repetition. For example, studies have shown that when the cerebellum is damaged, individuals or animals lose the ability to learn conditioned motor responses, such as the conditioned eye-blink response in classical conditioning experiments with rabbits. This study demonstrates the cerebellum's...
01:26Higher Mental Functions of Brain: Learning and Memory
Memory is one of the most vital higher mental functions of the brain. Memory is closely related to learning because it enables us to retain information and experiences from our past to use them in our present life. It also helps us to remember facts, events, and skills, such as riding a bike or swimming. There are two types of memory — declarative memory, which involves memorizing facts or events, and procedural memory, which enables us to remember how to do something like writing or playing an...
01:15Functional Brain Systems: Limbic System
The limbic system, often called the "emotional brain," is a complex set of structures located deep within the brain. The intricate network of the limbic system supports a wide range of psychological functions, from emotional regulation to memory formation and sensory processing. This functional brain region encompasses specific parts of the diencephalon and the cerebrum, integrating the higher mental functions of the cerebral cortex with the primitive emotional responses of the deep brain...
01:03Long-term Depression
Long-term depression, or LTD, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTD is the process of synaptic weakening that occurs over time between pre and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic weakening of LTD works in opposition to synaptic strengthening by long-term potentiation (LTP) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.
Calcium Ion Concentration Mechanism
If over time, all...
Calcium Ion Concentration Mechanism
If over time, all...