title: Loss of Cdc42 leads to defects in synaptic plasticity and remote memory recall.
abstract: Cdc42 is a signaling protein important for reorganization of actin cytoskeleton and morphogenesis of cells. However, the functional role of Cdc42 in synaptic plasticity and in behaviors such as learning and memory are not well understood. Here we report that postnatal forebrain deletion of Cdc42 leads to deficits in synaptic plasticity and in remote memory recall using conditional knockout of Cdc42. We found that deletion of Cdc42 impaired LTP in the Schaffer collateral synapses and postsynaptic structural plasticity of dendritic spines in CA1 pyramidal neurons in the hippocampus. Additionally, loss of Cdc42 did not affect memory acquisition, but instead significantly impaired remote memory recall. Together these results indicate that the postnatal functions of Cdc42 may be crucial for the synaptic plasticity in hippocampal neurons, which contribute to the capacity for remote memory recall.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical School, Durham, United States.
authors.forename: Il Hwan
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical School, Durham, United States.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical School, Durham, United States.
authors.forename: Scott H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Soderling
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical School, Durham, United States.
authors.forename: Ryohei
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yasuda
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D056547:CA1 Region, Hippocampal / Q000166:cytology*; D049229:Dendritic Spines / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D020764:cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; C581598:Cdc42 protein, mouse; D020764:cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein
keywords: LTP; dendritic spine; hippocampus; mouse; neuroscience; small GTPase; structural plasticity