Beta estrogen receptor knockout (BERKO) mice present attenuated hippocampal CA1 long-term potentiation and related memory deficits in contextual fear conditioning.
Estrogen has marked effects on hippocampal synaptic plasticity. We demonstrate that male and female 3-month-old beta estrogen receptor knockout (BERKO) mice show profound memory impairment in a hippocampus-mediated fear-conditioning paradigm. Subsequently, hippocampal slices prepared from behaviorally naive female BERKO mice were examined electrophysiologically. These were found to have robust synaptic deficits, compared to slices from age-matched wild type controls, both in terms of their input-output curves and their expression of long-term-potentiation in area CA1. This report provides the first concrete evidence of significant hippocampal synaptic plasticity and memory deficits in the BERKO mouse.
Day
Mark
M
Wyeth Research, Discovery Neuroscience, CN8000, Princeton, NJ 08543, USA. Daym1@wyeth.com
Sung
Amy
A
Logue
Sheree
S
Bowlby
Mark
M
Arias
Robert
R
D000818:Animals; D001245:Association Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D003214:Conditioning, Classical / Q000502:physiology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004777:Environment; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005239:Fear / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology
D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta