ERIC Number: EJ768070
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2005-Mar
Pages: 6
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1072-0502
EISSN: N/A
Expression of the Immediate-Early Gene-Encoded Protein Egr-1 ("zif268") during in Vitro Classical Conditioning
Mokin, Maxim; Keifer, Joyce
Learning & Memory, v12 n2 p144-149 Mar 2005
Expression of the immediate-early genes (IEGs) has been shown to be induced by activity-dependent synaptic plasticity or behavioral training and is thought to play an important role in long-term memory. In the present study, we examined the induction and expression of the IEG-encoded protein Egr-1 during an in vitro neural correlate of eyeblink classical conditioning. The results showed that Egr-1 protein expression as determined by immunocytochemistry and Western blot analysis rapidly increased during the early stages of conditioning and remained elevated during the later stages. Further, expression of Egr-1 protein required NMDA receptor activation as it was blocked by bath application of AP-5. These findings suggest that the IEG-encoded proteins such as Egr-1 are activated during relatively simple forms of learning in vertebrates. In this case, Egr-1 may have a functional role in the acquisition phase of conditioning as well as in maintaining expression of conditioned responses. (Contains 3 figures.)
Descriptors: Long Term Memory, Classical Conditioning, Genetics, Eye Movements, Cytology, Biochemistry, Animals, Neurology, Prenatal Influences
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A