Fear-potentiated startle, but not prepulse inhibition of startle, is impaired in CREBalphadelta-/- mutant mice.
Fear-potentiated startle was assessed in mice with a targeted disruption of the alpha and delta isoforms of the transcription factor cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) 24 hr after 5 tone + shock training trials. Whereas wild-type mice showed fear-potentiated startle that persisted up to 45 days after training, CREBalphadelta-/- mice failed to show fear-potentiated startle. However, CREBalphadelta-/- and wild-type mice had similar startle amplitudes and similar magnitudes of prepulse inhibition of startle, suggesting that CREBalphadelta-/- mice have no obvious sensory or motor deficits. These results add to the literature indicating that CREB-activated transcription plays a critical role in the formation of long-term memory and illustrate the utility of the fear-potentiated startle paradigm for assessing cognition in genetically altered mice.
Falls
W A
WA
Department of Psychology, University of Vermont, Burlington 05405, USA. wfalls@zoo.uvm.edu
Kogan
J H
JH
Silva
A J
AJ
Willott
J F
JF
Carlson
S
S
Turner
J G
JG
D000818:Animals; D001667:Binding, Competitive / Q000502:physiology; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism; D005239:Fear; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D013216:Reflex, Startle / Q000502:physiology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism
D014157:Transcription Factors; D000242:Cyclic AMP