Social isolation stress-induced fear memory deficit is mediated by down-regulated neuro-signaling system and Egr-1 expression in the brain

Neurochem Res. 2014 May;39(5):875-82. doi: 10.1007/s11064-014-1283-5. Epub 2014 Mar 20.

Abstract

We previously reported that social isolation (SI) rearing of rodents not only elicits a variety of behavioral abnormalities including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder-like behaviors, but also impairs fear memory in mice. This study aimed to clarify a putative mechanism underlying SI-induced conditioned fear memory deficit. Mice were group-housed (GH) or socially isolated for 2 weeks or more before the experiments. SI animals acquired contextual and auditory fear memory elucidated at 90 min and 4 h after training, respectively; however, they showed significantly impaired contextual and auditory memory performance at 24 h and 4 days after the training, respectively, indicating SI-induced deficit of the consolidation process of fear memory. Neurochemical studies conducted after behavioral tests revealed that SI mice had a significantly down-regulated level of Egr-1 but not Egr-2 in the hippocampal and cortical cytosolic fractions compared with those levels in the GH control animals. Moreover, in the SI group, phosphorylated levels of synaptic plasticity-related signaling proteins in the hippocampus, NR1 subunit of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor, glutamate receptor 1, and calmodulin-dependent kinase II but not cyclic AMP-responsive element binding protein were significantly down-regulated compared with those levels in GH animals, whereas non-phosphorylated levels of these proteins were not affected by SI. These findings suggest that dysfunctions of Egr-1 and neuro-signaling systems are involved in SI-induced deficits of fear memory consolidation in mice.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Behavior, Animal
  • Cerebral Cortex / metabolism
  • Conditioning, Classical
  • Down-Regulation
  • Early Growth Response Protein 1 / biosynthesis*
  • Early Growth Response Protein 2 / biosynthesis
  • Fear
  • Hippocampus / metabolism
  • Male
  • Memory / physiology
  • Memory Disorders / physiopathology*
  • Mice, Inbred ICR
  • Neuronal Plasticity
  • Signal Transduction
  • Social Isolation*
  • Stress, Psychological

Substances

  • Early Growth Response Protein 1
  • Early Growth Response Protein 2
  • Egr1 protein, mouse
  • Egr2 protein, mouse