Antibody to day-old chick brain glycoprotein produces amnesia in adult rats.
Polyclonal antibody R-1, raised against a chick synaptic membrane glycoprotein fraction whose synthesis is enhanced following training on a passive avoidance task, produces amnesia when injected into chick forebrain 5.5 h posttraining. The amnestic IgG fraction specifically recognizes a low sialylated isoform of NCAM (Mileusnic Rose, Lancashire, & Bullock, 1995). We have now investigated the effects of this antibody on memory formation in adult rats. R-1, preimmune serum, or saline was injected intracerebroventricularly 5.5 h posttraining through bilaterally implanted cannulae. Rats injected with R-1 and tested 48 h later showed a significant amnesia for avoidance compared with the controls. Amnesia was not apparent at 24 h posttraining. R-1 injections were without effect on spontaneous locomotor or exploratory activity in a holeboard test. The results contribute to the argument that the role of cell adhesion molecules in neuronal plasticity is not limited to the developing nervous system, but they play a more general role in the experience-dependent synaptic remodeling underlying long-term memory.
Alexinsky
T
T
Institut des Neurosciences, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France.
Przybyslawski
J
J
Mileusnic
R
R
Rose
S P
SP
Sara
S J
SJ
D000647:Amnesia / Q000139:chemically induced*; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000502:physiology; D003429:Cross Reactions; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D016548:Prosencephalon / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012153:Retention, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects; D013570:Synaptic Membranes / Q000187:drug effects
D000906:Antibodies; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D006023:Glycoproteins