Reactivation of fear memory renders consolidated amygdala synapses labile

J Neurosci. 2010 Jul 14;30(28):9631-40. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0940-10.2010.

Abstract

It is believed that memory reactivation transiently renders consolidated memory labile and that this labile or deconsolidated memory is reconsolidated in a protein synthesis-dependent manner. The synaptic correlate of memory deconsolidation upon reactivation, however, has not been fully characterized. Here, we show that 3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine (DHPG), an agonist for group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRI), induces synaptic depotentiation only at thalamic input synapses onto the lateral amygdala (T-LA synapses) where synaptic potentiation is consolidated, but not at synapses where synaptic potentiation is not consolidated. Using this mGluRI-induced synaptic depotentiation (mGluRI-depotentiation) as a marker of consolidated synapses, we found that mGluRI-depotentiation correlated well with the state of memory deconsolidation and reconsolidation in a predictable manner. DHPG failed to induce mGluRI-depotentiation in slices prepared immediately after reactivation when the reactivated memory was deconsolidated. DHPG induced mGluRI-depotentiation 1 h after reactivation when the reactivated memory was reconsolidated, but it failed to do so when reconsolidation was blocked by a protein synthesis inhibitor. To test the memory-specificity of mGluRI-depotentiation, conditioned fear was acquired twice using two discriminative tones (2.8 and 20 kHz). Under this condition, mGluRI-depotentiation was fully impaired in slices prepared immediately after reactivation with both tones, whereas mGluRI-depotentiation was partially impaired immediately after reactivation with the 20 kHz tone. Consistently, microinjection of DHPG into the LA 1 h after reactivation reduced fear memory retention, whereas DHPG injection immediately after reactivation failed to do so. Our findings suggest that, upon memory reactivation, consolidated T-LA synapses enter a temporary labile state, displaying insensitivity to mGluRI-depotentiation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amygdala / drug effects
  • Amygdala / physiology*
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Animals
  • Conditioning, Classical / drug effects
  • Conditioning, Classical / physiology
  • Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / pharmacology
  • Fear / drug effects
  • Fear / physiology*
  • Glycine / analogs & derivatives
  • Glycine / pharmacology
  • Long-Term Synaptic Depression / drug effects
  • Long-Term Synaptic Depression / physiology
  • Male
  • Memory / drug effects
  • Memory / physiology*
  • Neural Pathways / drug effects
  • Neural Pathways / physiology
  • Neurons / drug effects
  • Neurons / physiology*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate / agonists
  • Resorcinols / pharmacology
  • Synapses / drug effects
  • Synapses / physiology*
  • Synaptic Transmission / drug effects
  • Synaptic Transmission / physiology
  • Thalamus / drug effects
  • Thalamus / physiology*

Substances

  • Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists
  • Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate
  • Resorcinols
  • 3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine
  • Glycine