title: Involvement of neurogranin in the modulation of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, synaptic plasticity, and spatial learning: a study with knockout mice.
abstract: Neurogranin/RC3 is a neural-specific Ca(2+)-sensitive calmodulin (CaM)-binding protein whose CaM-binding affinity is modulated by phosphorylation and oxidation. Here we show that deletion of the Ng gene in mice did not result in obvious developmental or neuroanatomical abnormalities but caused an impairment of spatial learning and changes in hippocampal short- and long-term plasticity (paired-pulse depression, synaptic fatigue, long-term potentiation induction). These deficits were accompanied by a decreased basal level of the activated Ca(2+)/CaM-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) ( approximately 60% of wild type). Furthermore, hippocampal slices of the mutant mice displayed a reduced ability to generate activated CaMKII after stimulation of protein phosphorylation and oxidation by treatments with okadaic acid and sodium nitroprusside, respectively. These results indicate a central role of Ng in the regulation of CaMKII activity with decisive influences on synaptic plasticity and spatial learning.
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology and Reproduction Research Branch and Laboratory of Mammalian Genes and Development, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Pak
authors.forename: F L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Balschun
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Reymann
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Westphal
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D054732:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D002148:Calmodulin-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D017931:DNA Primers; D005260:Female; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D051579:Neurogranin; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D002148:Calmodulin-Binding Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C496650:Nrgn protein, mouse; D051579:Neurogranin; D054732:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases