Curiosity, synaptic plasticity and spatial memory are controlled by the interaction of NCS-1 and D2R in the dentate gyrus
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1
University of Toronto, Department of Physiology, Canada
The molecular underpinnings of curiosity and its link to learning and memory remain poorly understood. Here we show that inducible, modest overexpression of neuronal calcium sensor 1 (Ncs1) selectively in the adult murine dentate gyrus (DG) promotes exploratory behaviour in safe novel environments. The mice also display a selective facilitation of long-term potentiation (LTP) in the medial perforant path and a selective enhancement in rapid-acquisition polymodal memory, phenotypes reversed by direct application of a cell-permeant peptide (DNIP) designed to interfere with NCS-1 binding to the dopamine type-2 receptor (D2R). Moreover, the DNIP and the D2R-selective antagonist L-741,626 attenuated curiosity-driven exploratory behaviour, LTP, and spatial memory in control mice. These data demonstrate a role for NCS-1 and D2R in DG plasticity and provide novel molecular insight for understanding the origin of curiosity and its relationship to memory.
Published in the September 10th issue of Neuron, 2009.
Conference:
B.R.A.I.N. platform in Physiology poster day 2009, Toronto, ON, Canada, 16 Dec - 16 Dec, 2009.
Presentation Type:
Poster Presentation
Topic:
Poster presentations
Citation:
Saab
BJ,
Georgiou
J,
Nath
A,
Lee
FJ,
Wang
M,
Michalon
A,
Liu
F,
Mansuy
IM and
Roder
JC
(2009). Curiosity, synaptic plasticity and spatial memory are controlled by the interaction of NCS-1 and D2R in the dentate gyrus.
Front. Neurosci.
Conference Abstract:
B.R.A.I.N. platform in Physiology poster day 2009.
doi: 10.3389/conf.neuro.03.2009.17.041
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Received:
18 Dec 2009;
Published Online:
18 Dec 2009.
*
Correspondence:
Bechara J Saab, University of Toronto, Department of Physiology, Toronto, Canada, saab@lunenfeld.ca