[Abstract Title]. - Society for Neuroscience

Poster
295. Memory Consolidation, Reconsolidation, Anatomy, and Mechanisms
Time: Sunday, November 16, 2008, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Program#/Poster#: 295.16/SS66
Topic: F.02.h. Memory modulation, consolidation, and reconsolidation
Support: Centennial Research Scholars Grant
Title: Spatial working memory formation is associated with changes in hippocampal cortactin
Authors: *M. L. OLSON, J. R. BEYER, T. M. FOM, C. R. HENDRICKS, K. M.
RANDOLPH;
Psychology, Concordia Col., Moorhead, MN
Abstract: The cellular mechanisms that cause neurons to undergo structural changes following
memory formation are largely unknown. We set out to determine if cortactin, an actin-binding
protein and known regulator of dendritic spine structure, is involved in the cellular changes that
underlie spatial working memory formation. Spatial working memory is the ability of an
organism to temporarily record and manipulate information in its spatial environment. We used
the spatial win-shift task in the eight-arm radial maze to determine if the level of hippocampal
cortactin is altered following spatial working memory formation. Male, Sprague-Dawley rats
were trained on the task for 25 days, until all animals met the learning criterion of 1 or fewer
errors. On the testing day animals were again trained then humanely sacrificed 1 hr post-training.
Hippocampi were dissected out and cortactin levels were assessed via Western blot. Our results
indicate that hippocampal cortactin levels are significantly decreased in rats trained on the spatial
win-shift task compared with control animals. These results suggest a relationship between
hippocampal cortactin expression and spatial working memory formation. We speculate that
cortactin may mediate the activity-induced structural plasticity thought to underlie memory
formation.
Disclosures: M.L. Olson, None; J.R. Beyer, None; T.M. Fom, None; C.R. Hendricks,
None; K.M. Randolph, None.
Poster
295. Memory Consolidation, Reconsolidation, Anatomy, and Mechanisms