Source Paper
Epigenetic Regulation of <i>bdnf</i> Gene Transcription in the Consolidation of Fear Memory
Farah D. Lubin, Tania L. Roth, J. David Sweatt
Journal of Neuroscience • 2008
Contextual Fear Conditioning
Objective: To determine the contribution of chromatin remodeling and DNA methylation to learning-induced changes in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (bdnf) gene expression in the adult hippocampus during contextual fear memory consolidation
This is a Contextual Fear Conditioning protocol using Not explicitly stated in provided text as the model organism. The procedure involves 4 procedural steps, 1 equipment items, 1 materials. Extracted from a 2008 paper published in Journal of Neuroscience.
Model and subjects
Not explicitly stated in provided text • Not explicitly stated in provided text • Not explicitly stated in provided text • Not explicitly stated in provided text • Not explicitly stated in provided text • Not explicitly stated in provided text
Study window
Estimated timing pending
Core workflow
Contextual Fear Conditioning • Assessment of bdnf DNA Methylation Changes • Zebularine Infusion Treatment
Primary readouts
- Exon-specific bdnf mRNA levels (exons I, IV, VI, IX)
- bdnf DNA methylation patterns
- Local chromatin structure alterations
- Memory formation and consolidation
Key equipment and reagents
Use this page as an execution guide, then fall back to the source paper whenever you need exact exclusions, dosing details, or assay-specific caveats.
Confirm first
- Verify the animal model, intervention setup, and collection timepoints against the source paper.
- Check that every direct vendor link matches the exact specification your lab plans to run.
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- Work through the protocol steps in order and use the inline vendor chips only when you need to source or verify an item.
- Jump to Experimental Context for readouts, data shape, and analysis flow before planning downstream analysis.
Protocol Steps
Start here. The step list is optimized for running the experiment, with direct vendor links available inline when you need to source a cited item.
Contextual Fear Conditioning
Animals undergo contextual fear learning where they learn to associate a context with an aversive stimulus
Note: This learning paradigm induces differential regulation of exon-specific bdnf mRNAs
View evidence from paper
“Contextual fear learning induced differential regulation of exon-specific bdnf mRNAs (I, IV, VI, IX)”
Assessment of bdnf DNA Methylation Changes
Measure changes in bdnf DNA methylation and altered local chromatin structure associated with fear learning
Note: Changes in DNA methylation are associated with learning-induced alterations
View evidence from paper
“associated with changes in bdnf DNA methylation and altered local chromatin structure”
Zebularine Infusion Treatment
Infuse zebularine (DNA methyltransferase inhibitor) to alter bdnf DNA methylation and observe effects on bdnf mRNA levels
Note: Altered DNA methylation is sufficient to drive differential bdnf transcript regulation in hippocampus
View evidence from paper
“Infusions of zebularine (a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor) significantly altered bdnf DNA methylation and triggered changes in exon-specific bdnf mRNA levels”
NMDA Receptor Blockade Treatment
Block NMDA receptors to prevent memory-associated alterations in bdnf DNA methylation and assess effects on memory formation
Note: NMDA receptor blockade prevents altered bdnf gene expression and results in memory formation deficit
View evidence from paper
“NMDA receptor blockade prevented memory-associated alterations in bdnf DNA methylation, resulting in a block of altered bdnf gene expression in hippocampus and a deficit in memory formation”