title: Impaired cued and contextual memory in NPAS2-deficient mice.
abstract: Neuronal PAS domain protein 2 (NPAS2) is a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) PAS domain transcription factor expressed in multiple regions of the vertebrate brain. Targeted insertion of a beta-galactosidase reporter gene (lacZ) resulted in the production of an NPAS2-lacZ fusion protein and an altered form of NPAS2 lacking the bHLH domain. The neuroanatomical expression pattern of NPAS2-lacZ was temporally and spatially coincident with formation of the mature frontal association/limbic forebrain pathway. NPAS2-deficient mice were subjected to a series of behavioral tests and were found to exhibit deficits in the long-term memory arm of the cued and contextual fear task. Thus, NPAS2 may serve a dedicated regulatory role in the acquisition of specific types of memory.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Estill
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Michnoff
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rutter
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reick
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Diaz-Arrastia
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: McKnight
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological; D003463:Cues; D005239:Fear; D018390:Gene Targeting; D018257:Helix-Loop-Helix Motifs; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008032:Limbic System / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D016548:Prosencephalon / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D014110:Touch; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D014162:Transfection; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D001616:beta-Galactosidase; C491259:Npas2 protein, mouse