Neuroligin-1 is required for normal expression of LTP and associative fear memory in the amygdala of adult animals.

Full Abstract

Neuroligin-1 is a potent trigger for the de novo formation of synaptic connections, and it has recently been suggested that it is required for the maturation of functionally competent excitatory synapses. Despite evidence for the role of neuroligin-1 in specifying excitatory synapses, the underlying molecular mechanisms and physiological consequences that neuroligin-1 may have at mature synapses of normal adult animals remain unknown. By silencing endogenous neuroligin-1 acutely in the amygdala of live behaving animals, we have found that neuroligin-1 is required for the storage of associative fear memory. Subsequent cellular physiological studies showed that suppression of neuroligin-1 reduces NMDA receptor-mediated currents and prevents the expression of long-term potentiation without affecting basal synaptic connectivity at the thalamo-amygdala pathway. These results indicate that persistent expression of neuroligin-1 is required for the maintenance of NMDAR-mediated synaptic transmission, which enables normal development of synaptic plasticity and long-term memory in the amygdala of adult animals.

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Author information

Author/s: Kim, Juhyun (J); Jung, Sang-Yong (SY); Lee, Yeon Kyung (YK); Park, Sangki (S); Choi, June-Seek (JS); Lee, C Justin (CJ); Kim, Hye-Sun (HS); Choi, Yun-Beom (YB); Scheiffele, Peter (P); Bailey, Craig H (CH); Kandel, Eric R (ER); Kim, Joung-Hun (JH);

Affiliation: Department of Life Science, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Gyungbuk 790-784, Korea.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2008-Jul; vol 105 (issue 26) : pp 9087-92

Dates: Created 2008/07/07; Completed 2008/07/31;

PMID: 18579781, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Amygdala - cytology; metabolism
Animals
Fear - physiology
Ion Channel Gating
Long-Term Potentiation
Male
Membrane Proteins - deficiency; metabolism
Memory - physiology

Memory - physiology
Nerve Tissue Proteins - deficiency; metabolism
Pyramidal Cells - metabolism
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate - metabolism
Synaptic Transmission
Thalamus - metabolism

Associated Chemicals: Membrane Proteins (0) ; Nerve Tissue Proteins (0) ; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate (0) ; neuroligin 1 (0)

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