title: Effects of early experience on c-fos gene expression in the chick forebrain.
abstract: The expression of c-fos mRNA was studied by blot and in situ hybridisation in the forebrains of young chicks subjected to different types of experience-dependent stimulation. Exposure to one hour of activity in a rich visual environment produced a significant increase in forebrain c-fos mRNA in 1-day or 2-day-old chicks; this increase was most marked in cerebellum and medial forebrain--especially intermediate medial hyperstriatum ventrale (IMHV) regions. Levels of c-fos mRNA were not elevated in birds which had been accommodated to the enriched environment for 2 days, suggesting that the novelty of presented stimuli play a critical role in the c-fos induction. Training chicks on a one-trial passive avoidance task was followed by 2- to 2.5-fold increases in c-fos mRNA in both left and right IMHV and lobus parolfactorius (LPO) 30 min after the learning experience. Occlusion of one eye during training resulted in an asymmetrical expression of c-fos in the hemisphere contralateral to the open eye. Therefore c-fos is induced in the chick forebrain during learning and its activation cannot be attributed to 'stress', arousal or intensity of sensory stimulation alone. These observations support the hypothesis that c-fos expression in the brain is related to the acquisition of new experience.
authors.affiliation: Anokhin Institute of Normal Physiology, USSR Academy of Medical Sciences, Moscow.
authors.forename: K V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Anokhin
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mileusnic
authors.forename: I Y
authors.initials: IY
authors.lastname: Shamakina
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Rose
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D002645:Chickens; D003624:Darkness; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D008027:Light; D008297:Male; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D011519:Proto-Oncogenes; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015349:Vision, Monocular
chemical_list: D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases