Subcellular localization of increased incorporation of [3H]fucose following passive avoidance learning in the chick

The effect of training on a passive avoidance test on incorporation of [3H]fucose into subcellular fractions of the anterior forebrain roof of 1-day-old chicks was determined. Isotope was injected intraperitoneally, and birds tested and killed after 3 h. There was an increase in incorporation in trained compared with untrained control birds in the synaptic membrane (19% elevation, P less than 0.02) and the mitochondrial (14% elevation, P less than 0.05) fractions. Following intracranial injection, increased incorporation in trained birds was seen only in the synaptic membrane fraction (39% elevation, P less than 0.01); this increase in incorporation was not limited to any particular electrophoretically separated glycopeptides, but occurred in all 9 detected peaks.