Spatial and Associative Learning Tasks
Objective: Assessment of hippocampus-dependent spatial and associative learning abilities in mice with CNS-specific c-Fos knockout
Protocol Steps
Behavioral Assessment
Evaluation of general and emotional behavior in adult mice lacking c-Fos in the CNS
Note: c-fos ΔCNSmice showed normal general and emotional behavior
View evidence from paper
“Adult mice lacking c-Fos in the CNS (c-fos ΔCNSmice) showed normal general and emotional behavior”
Spatial Learning Task
Assessment of hippocampus-dependent spatial learning abilities
Note: c-fos ΔCNSmice were specifically impaired in this task
View evidence from paper
“were specifically impaired in hippocampus-dependent spatial and associative learning tasks”
Associative Learning Task
Assessment of hippocampus-dependent associative learning abilities
Note: c-fos ΔCNSmice were specifically impaired in this task
View evidence from paper
“were specifically impaired in hippocampus-dependent spatial and associative learning tasks”
Electrophysiological Recording
Measurement of long-term potentiation (LTP) in hippocampal CA3-CA1 synapses
Note: LTP magnitude was reduced in c-fos ΔCNSmice
View evidence from paper
“These learning deficits correlated with a reduction of long-term potentiation (LTP) in hippocampal CA3-CA1 synapses”
Repeated Tetanization Procedure
Application of repeated tetanization to test LTP induction capacity
Note: Repeated tetanization restored LTP magnitude in c-fos ΔCNSmice, suggesting impaired LTP induction
View evidence from paper
“The magnitude of LTP was restored by a repeated tetanization procedure, suggesting impaired LTP induction in c-fos ΔCNSmice”
NR2B-type NMDA Receptor Inhibition
Application of selective inhibitor of NR2B-type NMDA receptors during tetanization
Note: Blockade of NR2B-type NMDA receptors prevented LTP rescue in c-fos ΔCNSmice
View evidence from paper
“This rescue was blocked by a selective inhibitor of NR2B-type NMDA receptors”
NR2A-type NMDA Receptor Pathway Assessment
Evaluation of NR2A-type NMDA receptor-activated signaling pathways in wild-type mice
Note: NR2A-type NMDA receptor signaling compensated for NR2B blockade in wild-type but not c-fos ΔCNSmice
View evidence from paper
“This blockade was compensated in wild-type mice by NR2A-type NMDA receptor-activated signaling pathways, thus indicating that these pathways are compromised in c-fos ΔCNSmice”