Wnt Signaling in Amygdala-Dependent Learning and Memory
Name
Maguschak-2011-Wnt Signaling in Amy.pdf
Size
2.74 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
1940c2462b80f6d0c831dae0845d18fd
Author(s)
Maguschak, Kimberly A.
Ressler, Kerry J.
Date Issued
September 2011
Journal
Journal of Neuroscience
Publisher
Society for Neuroscience
Citation
Maguschak, K. A., and K. J. Ressler. “Wnt Signaling in Amygdala-Dependent Learning and Memory.” Journal of Neuroscience 31.37 (2011): 13057–13067. Web.
Version
Final published version
Abstract
In addition to its role in cellular development and proliferation, there are emerging in vitro data implicating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in synaptic plasticity. Yet in vivo studies have not examined whether Wnt activity is required for learning and memory. In the amygdala during fear memory formation, we found that many Wnt-signaling genes were dynamically regulated, with an immediate decrease, followed by an eventual normalization during memory consolidation. This rapid decrease in Wnt mRNA was confirmed with individual quantitative PCR and in situ hybridization. We then manipulated Wnt signaling with a specific peptide antagonist (Dkk-1) or agonist (Wnt1) injected stereotaxically into the adult amygdala during fear learning. We found that neither manipulation had an effect on locomotion, anxiety, fear acquisition, or fear expression. However, both Wnt modulators prevented long-term fear memory consolidation without affecting short-term memory. Dkk-1 and Wnt infusions had destabilizing, but opposite, effects on the requisite β-catenin/cadherin dynamic interactions that occur during consolidation. These data suggest that dynamic modulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling during consolidation is critical for the structural basis of long-term memory formation.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences
Terms of Use
Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.
Persistent DSpace Link
DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1523/jneurosci.3248-11.2011
