Effect of MK-801-induced impairment of inhibitory avoidance learning in zebrafish via inactivation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in telencephalon
- Authors
- Ng, M.C., Hsu, C.P., Wu, Y.J., Wu, S.Y., Yang, Y.L., and Lu, K.T.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-120111-11
- Date
- 2012
- Source
- Fish physiology and biochemistry 38(4): 1099-1106 (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Keywords
- zebrafish, inhibitory avoidance, telencephalon, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)
- MeSH Terms
-
- Animals
- Avoidance Learning*
- Blotting, Western
- Dizocilpine Maleate
- Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases/antagonists & inhibitors
- Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases/metabolism*
- Phosphorylation
- Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate/metabolism*
- Telencephalon/enzymology*
- Zebrafish/physiology*
- PubMed
- 22215143 Full text @ Fish Physiol. Biochem.
N-Methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors are implicated in a wide range of complex behavioral functions, including cognitive activity. Numerous studies have shown that using the repetitive administration of a noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist, MK-801, induces amnesia in rodents. In this study, the effect of a subchronic MK-801 treatment on the cognitive function of zebrafish was evaluated using a novel inhibitory avoidance task. First, we established a new system to investigate the inhibitory avoidance learning of zebrafish where they were trained to refrain from swimming from a shallow compartment to a deep compartment in order to avoid electric shock. Second, we found that blocking NMDA receptors by MK-801 could significantly attenuate the inhibitory avoidance behavior of the zebrafish and alter the telencephalic extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation level 90 min after the inhibitory avoidance training. These results suggest that the formation of long-term emotional memory is possibly mediated by ERK activation in the telencephalon of zebrafish.