Dopamine controls persistence of long-term memory storage.
The paradigmatic feature of long-term memory (LTM) is its persistence. However, little is known about the mechanisms that make some LTMs last longer than others. In rats, a long-lasting fear LTM vanished rapidly when the D1 dopamine receptor antagonist SCH23390 was injected into the dorsal hippocampus 12 hours, but not immediately or 9 hours, after the fearful experience. Conversely, intrahippocampal application of the D1 agonist SK38393 at the same critical post-training time converted a rapidly decaying fear LTM into a persistent one. This effect was mediated by brain-derived neurotrophic factor and regulated by the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Thus, the persistence of LTM depends on activation of VTA/hippocampus dopaminergic connections and can be specifically modulated by manipulating this system at definite post-learning time points.
Rossato
Janine I
JI
Centro de Memória, Instituto do Cérebro, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Bevilaqua
Lia R M
LR
Izquierdo
Iván
I
Medina
Jorge H
JH
Cammarota
Martín
M
D015647:2,3,4,5-Tetrahydro-7,8-dihydroxy-1-phenyl-1H-3-benzazepine / Q000494:pharmacology; D015124:8-Bromo Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001552:Benzazepines / Q000494:pharmacology; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology*; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D005239:Fear; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017447:Receptors, Dopamine D1 / Q000819:agonists / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D017557:Ventral Tegmental Area / Q000502:physiology*
D001552:Benzazepines; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists; D017447:Receptors, Dopamine D1; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; C534628:SCH 23390; D015124:8-Bromo Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate; D015647:2,3,4,5-Tetrahydro-7,8-dihydroxy-1-phenyl-1H-3-benzazepine; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D004298:Dopamine