生物谷报道：研究人员报告说，成功的记忆取回激活在学习时放电的同一个神经元。这个Leon G. Reijmers和同事的发现回答了一个长期没有答案的问题：学习与取回记忆是否激发相同的神经元？这个小组产生了带有基因突变的小鼠，给学习过程中激活的神经元贴一种标记，而给取回过程的神经元贴另一种标记。这使他们能数在基底外侧杏仁体中涉及记忆的两个方面的神经元的数量，基底外侧杏仁体是大脑中记忆和情感反应的中心。这些小鼠接受关联条件化恐惧训练，有些受到了电击。受过被电击而产生恐惧训练的小鼠，在与最初受到电击相同的位置被测试记忆取回时，有最多的涉及记忆形成的神经元被激活。而在相同的笼子里测试的或没有受过电击的小鼠的神经元数的重复最小。
原始出处:
Science 31 August 2007:
Vol. 317. no. 5842, pp. 1230 - 1233
DOI: 10.1126/science.1143839
Localization of a Stable Neural Correlate of Associative Memory
Leon G. Reijmers, Brian L. Perkins, Naoki Matsuo, Mark Mayford*
Do learning and retrieval of a memory activate the same neurons? Does the number of reactivated neurons correlate with memory strength? We developed a transgenic mouse that enables the long-lasting genetic tagging of c-fos–active neurons. We found neurons in the basolateral amygdala that are activated during Pavlovian fear conditioning and are reactivated during memory retrieval. The number of reactivated neurons correlated positively with the behavioral expression of the fear memory, indicating a stable neural correlate of associative memory. The ability to manipulate these neurons genetically should allow a more precise dissection of the molecular mechanisms of memory encoding within a distributed neuronal network.
Department of Cell Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: mmayford@scripps.edu
