Work

Learning Induces a CDC2-Related Protein Kinase, KKIAMRE

Year: 1999

Type: article

Abstract: To elucidate molecular mechanisms in learning and memory, we analyzed expression of mRNAs in brains of rabbits undergoing eyeblink conditioning. Infusion of the transcription inhibitor actinomycin D into the cerebellar interpositus nucleus reversibly blocked learning but not performance of the conditioned response. Differential display PCR analysis of cerebellar interpositus RNAs from trained and pseudotrained rabbits identified a 207 bp band that was induced with learning. The fragment was used to isolate a cDNA from a lambdagt11 rabbit brain library containing a 1698 bp open reading frame. The deduced amino acid sequence contains the KKIAMRE motif, which is conserved among cell division cycle 2 (cdc2)-related kinases. These results suggest that there is a new category of cdc2-related kinases in the brain whose function may be important in learning and memory.

Source: Journal of Neuroscience

DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.19-21-09530.1999

Authors: Hiroshi Gomi, William Sun, Caleb E. Finch, Shigeyoshi Itohara, Kenji Yoshimi, Richard F. Thompson

Institutions: University of Southern California, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, RIKEN, Daiichi-Sankyo (Japan)

Language: English

Topic: Memory and Neural Mechanisms

Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid