Long-term sensitization training in Aplysia leads to an increase in calreticulin, a major presynaptic calcium-binding protein.
Long-term memory for sensitization in Aplysia requires new protein and RNA synthesis. Here, we identify a late protein as calreticulin, the major Ca(2+)-binding protein of the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum. An antiserum against Aplysia calreticulin reveals an enrichment of calreticulin immunoreactivity in presynaptic varicosities. Quantitative S1 nuclease analysis indicates that the steady-state level of calreticulin mRNA in Aplysia sensory neurons increases during the maintenance phase of long-term sensitization. The finding that this mRNA increases in expression late, some time after training, is consistent with the idea that long-term neuromodulatory changes underlying sensitization may depend on a cascade of gene expression in which the induction of early regulatory genes leads to the expression of late effector genes.
Kennedy
T E
TE
Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York.
Kuhl
D
D
Barzilai
A
A
Sweatt
J D
JD
Kandel
E R
ER
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001048:Aplysia / Q000502:physiology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D037282:Calreticulin; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000502:physiology*; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure
D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D037282:Calreticulin; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D004247:DNA