Revisiting the role of long-term potentiation in learning and memory
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- A central function of the nervous system is its ability to enable an animal to learn, defined as the process by which an animal’s behavior changes in response to experience. Long term potentiation (LTP) is a candidate mechanism for learning and memory in the nervous system because LTP, as a form of synaptic plasticity, has the hallmarks expected for a cellular process that enables an animal to learn. Prior studies have established strong correlations between LTP in the hippocampus, a critical center for learning and memory, and spatial learning in rodents. However, causally linking LTP with learning has proven to be difficult. The present study aims to test the relationship between LTP and learning and memory using a novel mouse line with a conditional knock-out (cKO) of Stx3. The Stx3 gene encodes a SNARE protein that was shown in prior studies to be essential for LTP. The mouse line used deletes Stx3 conditionally in excitatory forebrain neurons by crossing Stx3 cKO mice with CamKIIa-Cre driver mice (CamKIIa-Cre;Syntaxin-3fl/fl). Thus, the goal of the present study is to answer the question: Is LTP necessary for learning and memory? To determine the ability of Stx3 cKO mice to perform learning and memory tasks, this study uses spatial and associative learning behavioral assays. Additionally, to confirm that cKO of Stx3 does not have negative effects on neuronal health, this study quantitatively evaluates neuronal morphology. Analyses of neuronal morphology indicate that the cKO of Stx3 did not cause major effects on the architecture of the brain or the morphology of neurons. Furthermore, results from behavioral assays show that Stx3 cKO mice can perform learning and memory tasks similarly to wild-type mice, with no significant differences between the two groups. These findings suggest that LTP may not be necessary for learning and memory in mice. This disrupts the long-standing hypothesis that LTP is causally linked to learning and memory, indicating that another mechanism may be responsible. This work will contribute to our understanding of how the brain learns and offers the first step towards finding solutions for disorders of learning and memory.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Date modified | December 5, 2022 |
| Publication date | May 6, 2022; May 2022 |
Creators/Contributors
| Author | Wang, Grace |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor | Sudhof, Thomas |
| Thesis advisor | Chen, Xiaoke |
| Degree granting institution | Stanford University, Department of Biology |
Subjects
| Subject | Biology, Neurobiology, Long-term potentiation, Memory, Learning, Stx3 |
|---|---|
| Genre | Text |
| Genre | Thesis |
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- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC).
Preferred citation
- Preferred citation
- Wang, G. (2022). Revisiting the role of long-term potentiation in learning and memory. Stanford Digital Repository. Available at https://purl.stanford.edu/gw145bb2369
Collection
Undergraduate Theses, Department of Biology, 2021-2022
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- gracedw@stanford.edu
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