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Activation of MAPK is necessary for long-term memory consolidation following food-reward conditioning

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-08, 09:38 authored by Maria J Ribeiro, Michael G Schofield, Ildiko KemenesIldiko Kemenes, Michael O'Shea, George KemenesGeorge Kemenes, Paul R Benjamin
Although an important role for the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) has been established for memory consolidation in a variety of learning paradigms, it is not known if this pathway is also involved in appetitive classical conditioning. We address this question by using a single-trial food-reward conditioning paradigm in the freshwater snail Lymnaea stagnalis. This learning paradigm induces protein synthesis-dependent long-term memory formation. Inhibition of MAPK phosphorylation blocked long-term memory consolidation without affecting the sensory and motor abilities of the snails. Thirty minutes after conditioning, levels of MAPK phosphorylation were increased in extracts from the buccal and cerebral ganglia. These ganglia are involved in the generation, modulation, and plasticity of the feeding behavior. We also detected an increase in levels of MAPK phosphorylation in the peripheral tissue around the mouth of the snails where chemoreceptors are located. Although an increase in MAPK phosphorylation was shown to be essential for food-reward conditioning, it was also detected in snails that were exposed to the conditioned stimulus (CS) or the unconditioned stimulus (US) alone, suggesting that phosphorylation of MAPK is necessary but not sufficient for learning to occur.

History

Publication status

  • Published

Journal

Learning and Memory

ISSN

1072-0502

Publisher

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press

Issue

5

Volume

12

Page range

538-545

Department affiliated with

  • Neuroscience Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2012-02-06

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