Increased prefrontal cortex neurogranin enhances plasticity and extinction learning. J Neurosci 2015 May 13;35(19):7503-8
Date
05/15/2015Pubmed ID
25972176Pubmed Central ID
PMC4429154DOI
10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0274-15.2015Scopus ID
2-s2.0-84929353508 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 22 CitationsAbstract
Increasing plasticity in neurons of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) has been proposed as a possible therapeutic tool to enhance extinction, a process that is impaired in post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, and addiction. To test this hypothesis, we generated transgenic mice that overexpress neurogranin (a calmodulin-binding protein that facilitates long-term potentiation) in the PFC. Neurogranin overexpression in the PFC enhanced long-term potentiation and increased the rates of extinction learning of both fear conditioning and sucrose self-administration. Our results indicate that elevated neurogranin function within the PFC can enhance local plasticity and increase the rate of extinction learning across different behavioral tasks. Thus, neurogranin can provide a molecular link between enhanced plasticity and enhanced extinction.
Author List
Zhong L, Brown J, Kramer A, Kaleka K, Petersen A, Krueger JN, Florence M, Muelbl MJ, Battle M, Murphy GG, Olsen CM, Gerges NZAuthors
Nashaat Gerges PhD Chair, Professor in the School of Pharmacy Administration department at Medical College of WisconsinChristopher M. Olsen PhD Associate Professor in the Pharmacology and Toxicology department at Medical College of Wisconsin
MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
Analysis of VarianceAnimals
Calcium
Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2
Conditioning, Classical
Conditioning, Operant
Electric Stimulation
Extinction, Psychological
Fear
In Vitro Techniques
Long-Term Potentiation
Male
Mice
Mice, Transgenic
Neurogranin
Neuronal Plasticity
Prefrontal Cortex
Pyramidal Cells
Sucrose
