ERIC Number: EJ892608
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010-Aug
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1072-0502
EISSN: N/A
SRC Inhibition Reduces NR2B Surface Expression and Synaptic Plasticity in the Amygdala
Sinai, Laleh; Duffy, Steven; Roder, John C.
Learning & Memory, v17 n8 p364-371 Aug 2010
The Src protein tyrosine kinase plays a central role in the regulation of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) activity by regulating NMDAR subunit 2B (NR2B) surface expression. In the amygdala, NMDA-dependent synaptic plasticity resulting from convergent somatosensory and auditory inputs contributes to emotional memory; however, the role of Src tyrosine kinase has not been investigated. We have synthesized a Src-derived peptide, Tat-Src (40-58), that crosses the blood-brain barrier following injection and accumulates intracellularly. Tat-Src (40-58) blocks the interaction of Src with NMDA receptors. Following injection, mice demonstrate impaired amygdala-dependent cued fear conditioning, as well as impairments in an amygdala-dependent nonassociative social recognition task. The Src inhibitor decreased NR2B phosphorylation in amygdala tissue and reduced NR2B surface expression in cultured amygdala neurons with a concomitant reduction in NMDA multimer-containing dendritic puncta. In addition, preincubation of this inhibitory peptide blocked amygdalar long-term potentiation in the lateral to basolateral pathway in vitro. These results indicate that Src is a key regulator of NMDAR trafficking in the amygdala. Furthermore, Src-dependent phosphorylation of NR2B supports amygdala plasticity and amygdalar-dependent learning.
Descriptors: Brain Hemisphere Functions, Biochemistry, Auditory Stimuli, Role, Animals, Fear, Conditioning, Task Analysis, Cues, Metacognition, Drug Use, Learning Processes
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A