A synthetic neural cell adhesion molecule mimetic peptide promotes synaptogenesis, enhances presynaptic function, and facilitates memory consolidation.
The neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) plays a critical role in development and plasticity of the nervous system and is involved in the mechanisms of learning and memory. Here, we show that intracerebroventricular administration of the FG loop (FGL), a synthetic 15 amino acid peptide corresponding to the binding site of NCAM for the fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1), immediately after training rats in fear conditioning or water maze learning, induced a long-lasting improvement of memory. In primary cultures of hippocampal neurons, FGL enhanced the presynaptic function through activation of FGFR1 and promoted synapse formation. These results provide the first evidence for a memory-facilitating effect resulting from a treatment that mimics NCAM function. They suggest that increased efficacy of synaptic transmission and formation of new synapses probably mediate the cognition-enhancing properties displayed by the peptide.
Cambon
Karine
K
Psychobiology Department, Universidad Nacional de Educacion a Distancia, Ciudad Universitaria Sin Numero, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
Hansen
Stine M
SM
Venero
Cesar
C
Herrero
A Isabel
AI
Skibo
Galina
G
Berezin
Vladimir
V
Bock
Elisabeth
E
Sandi
Carmen
C
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003214:Conditioning, Classical / Q000187:drug effects; D004644:Emotions / Q000187:drug effects; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D018716:Molecular Mimicry / Q000502:physiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000819:agonists* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017729:Presynaptic Terminals / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017468:Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D013569:Synapses / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
C488618:NCAM protein (681-695), human; D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules; D010455:Peptides; D011758:Pyrroles; D017468:Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor; C105686:SU 5402