Memory recall and modifications by activating neurons with elevated CREB

Jieun Kim; Jeong-Tae Kwon; Hyung-Su Kim; Sheena A Josselyn; Jin-Hee Han

doi:10.1038/nn.3592

Memory recall and modifications by activating neurons with elevated CREB

Nat Neurosci. 2014 Jan;17(1):65-72. doi: 10.1038/nn.3592. Epub 2013 Nov 10.

Authors

Jieun Kim¹, Jeong-Tae Kwon¹, Hyung-Su Kim², Sheena A Josselyn³, Jin-Hee Han²

Affiliations

¹ 1] Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST Institute for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, Korea. [2].
² Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST Institute for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, Korea.
³ Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

PMID: 24212670
DOI: 10.1038/nn.3592

Abstract

Memory is supported by a specific ensemble of neurons distributed in the brain that form a unique memory trace. We previously showed that neurons in the lateral amygdala expressing elevated levels of cAMP response-element binding protein are preferentially recruited into fear memory traces and are necessary for the expression of those memories. However, it is unknown whether artificially activating just these selected neurons in the absence of behavioral cues is sufficient to recall that fear memory. Using an ectopic rat vanilloid receptor TRPV1 and capsaicin system, we found that activating this specific ensemble of neurons was sufficient to recall established fear memory. Furthermore, this neuronal activation induced a reconsolidation-like reorganization process, or strengthening of the fear memory. Thus, our findings establish a direct link between the activation of specific ensemble of neurons in the lateral amygdala and the recall of fear memory and its subsequent modifications.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Acoustic Stimulation / adverse effects
Action Potentials / drug effects
Action Potentials / genetics
Amygdala / cytology*
Amygdala / drug effects
Amygdala / physiology
Analysis of Variance
Animals
Anisomycin / pharmacology
CREB-Binding Protein / genetics
CREB-Binding Protein / metabolism*
Capsaicin / pharmacology
Conditioning, Classical / drug effects
Conditioning, Classical / physiology
Fear / drug effects
Freezing Reaction, Cataleptic / drug effects
Gene Expression Regulation / drug effects
Gene Expression Regulation / genetics
Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
Herpesvirus 1, Human / genetics
Mental Recall / physiology*
Mice
Mice, Inbred C57BL
Mice, Transgenic
Neurons / physiology*
Phosphorylation / drug effects
Phosphorylation / genetics
Protein Synthesis Inhibitors / pharmacology
Receptors, AMPA / metabolism
Serine / metabolism
TRPV Cation Channels / genetics
TRPV Cation Channels / metabolism
Transduction, Genetic

Substances

Protein Synthesis Inhibitors
Receptors, AMPA
TRPV Cation Channels
TRPV1 protein, mouse
Green Fluorescent Proteins
Serine
Anisomycin
CREB-Binding Protein
Capsaicin
glutamate receptor ionotropic, AMPA 1