Taste aversion learning in fyn mutant mice.
Conditioned taste aversion (CTA) learning is a robust form of classical conditioning in which animals rapidly associate a flavor with aversive internal symptoms. The present study assessed CTA learning in transgenic mice deficient in a specific nonreceptor tyrosine kinase (the fyn mutant). Fyn mutants show impaired long-term potentiation and marked deficits in acquisition of spatial learning tasks. To assess whether they are also impaired in CTA learning, fyn mutant and wild-type mice received 2 conditioning trials consisting of access to a flavored solution followed by administration of LiCl. Fyn mutant mice acquired significant CTAs following a single conditioning trial and these aversions were comparable to those seen in wild-type mice. These results indicate that the fyn mutation does not interfere with the acquisition of CTAs and hence that this mutation is not associated with a global learning deficit.
Schafe
G E
GE
Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle 98195-1525, USA.
Stein
P L
PL
Park
C R
CR
Bernstein
I L
IL
D000818:Animals; D001245:Association Learning / Q000502:physiology; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D003214:Conditioning, Classical / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D018021:Lithium Chloride / Q000633:toxicity; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008818:Mice, Neurologic Mutants; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics*; D013649:Taste / Q000235:genetics*; D019061:src-Family Kinases
D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C490512:Frk protein, mouse; D019061:src-Family Kinases; D018021:Lithium Chloride