Bioluminescence imaging of c-fos gene expression accompanying filial imprinting in the newly hatched chick brain.
Bioluminescence imaging is a powerful tool for examining gene expression in living animals. Previously, we reported that exogenous DNA could be successfully delivered into neurons in the newly hatched chick brain using electroporation. Here, we show the in vivo bioluminescence imaging of c-fos promoter activity and its upregulation, which is associated with filial imprinting. The upregulation of c-fos gene expression correlated with both the strength of the chicks' approach activity to the training object and the acquisition of memory. The present technique should be a powerful tool for analyzing the time changes in neural activity of certain brain areas in real-time during memory formation, using brains of living animals.
Yamaguchi
Shinji
S
Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Teikyo University, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 229-0195, Japan.
Iikubo
Eiji
E
Hirose
Naoki
N
Kitajima
Takaaki
T
Katagiri
Sachiko
S
Kawamori
Ai
A
Fujii-Taira
Ikuko
I
Matsushima
Toshiya
T
Homma
Koichi J
KJ
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002645:Chickens; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051766:Early Growth Response Protein 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018274:Electroporation / Q000379:methods; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000502:physiology*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology*; D007173:Imprinting, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013223:Statistics as Topic
D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D051766:Early Growth Response Protein 1; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos