Memory of social defeat is facilitated by cAMP response element-binding protein overexpression in the amygdala.
The cAMP-responsive element binding protein (CREB) is a transcription factor that regulates synaptic plasticity and memory formation. Studies that have used conditioned fear models have established that CREB is important for the acquisition and consolidation of fear learning. The authors demonstrate that overexpression of CREB within the basolateral amygdala (BLA) of animals that are exposed to social defeat enhances subsequent defeat-induced changes in social behavior. This effect is specific to the acquisition of defeat-induced behaviors; overexpression of CREB has no effect on the expression of these behaviors if the overexpression occurs after the initial defeat. These data demonstrate that CREB is important for regulating learning not only to explicit cues but also for mediating behavioral plasticity in ethologically relevant social contexts.
Jasnow
Aaron M
AM
Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Atlanta, GA, USA. jasnowa@rockefeller.edu
Shi
Chanjun
C
Israel
Jeris E
JE
Davis
Michael
M
Huhman
Kim L
KL
D000374:Aggression / Q000502:physiology; D000679:Amygdala / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D006224:Cricetinae; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D004291:Dominance-Subordination; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D008647:Mesocricetus; D008845:Microinjections; D011897:Random Allocation; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000502:physiology
D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein