GLR-1, a non-NMDA glutamate receptor homolog, is critical for long-term memory in Caenorhabditis elegans.
Long-term memory for habituation to tap in Caenorhabditis elegans depends on glr-1, a homolog of mammalian non-NMDA glutamate receptors; mutations in glr-1 blocked long-term memory formation. Green fluorescent protein (GFP) constructs were used to visualize glr-1 expression in the interneurons of the mechanosensory circuit and synaptobrevin in the tap sensory neurons of trained and untrained worms. Trained animals had less GLR-1::GFP expression than untrained animals; there was no difference in the vesicle marker synaptobrevin. Heat shock during training blocked both the behavioral expression of long-term memory and the change in GLR-1::GFP expression. Thus, long-term memory in C. elegans is dependent on glr-1 and likely involves changes in the expression or localization of glutamate receptors.
Department of Psychology and Brain Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6T 1Z4.
Jacqueline K
JK
Rose
Karla R
KR
Kaun
Sylvia H
SH
Chen
Catharine H
CH
Rankin
D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000502:physiology*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic / Q000502:physiology; D018869:Heat-Shock Response / Q000502:physiology; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D009154:Mutation; D050683:R-SNARE Proteins; D018091:Receptors, AMPA; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D050683:R-SNARE Proteins; D018091:Receptors, AMPA; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C096470:glr-1 protein, C elegans; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins