title: Differential involvement of the gamma-synuclein in cognitive abilities on the model of knockout mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gamma-synuclein is a member of the synuclein family of cytoplasmic, predominantly neuron-specific proteins. Despite numerous evidences for the importance of gamma-synuclein in the control of monoamine homeostasis, cytoskeleton reorganization and chaperone activity, its role in the regulation of cognitive behavior still remain unknown. Our previous study revealed that gamma-synuclein knockout mice are characterized by high habituation scores. Since a number of processes including spatial memory of the environment may affect habituation, in the present study we have carried out behavioral evaluation of spatial and working memory in gamma-synuclein knockout mice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Inactivation of gamma-synuclein gene led to the improvement of working memory in mice as revealed by passive and active avoidance tests. At the same time behavioral tests, designed to assess spatial learning and memory (Morris water maze and Object location tests), showed no differences between gamma-synuclein knockouts and wild type mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings indicate that young mice with targeted inactivation of gamma-synuclein gene have improved working memory, but not spatial learning and memory. Our results suggest that gamma-synuclein is directly involved in the regulation of cognitive functions.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiologically Active Compounds RAS, Chernogolovka, Russia. viktor_kohan@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Viktor S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Kokhan
authors.forename: Gennadiy I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Van'kin
authors.forename: Sergey O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Bachurin
authors.forename: Inna Yu
authors.initials: IY
authors.lastname: Shamakina
mesh_terms: D000221:Adaptation, Ocular / Q000235:genetics; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000502:physiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000235:genetics; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D051845:gamma-Synuclein / Q000172:deficiency*
chemical_list: D051845:gamma-Synuclein