Role of Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor and its receptor Tyrosine Kinase Receptor B in olfactory-dependent fear learning Público

Weinberger, Remy Elizabeth (2011)

Permanent URL: https://etd.library.emory.edu/concern/etds/bk128b20t?locale=pt-BR
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Abstract

Abstract
Role of Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor and its receptor Tyrosine Kinase Receptor B in olfactory-dependent fear learning
By Remy E. Weinberger
BDNF is known to play a role in neuronal survival and plasticity-especially during the processes of learning and memory. The olfactory system has been shown to undergo neurogenesis throughout adulthood; however it is unknown whether BDNF and its receptor TrkB are responsible for this process. Because of BDNF's role in plasticity, and it's increased presence in the olfactory bulb during an olfactory-dependent learning task, we chose to examine whether BDNF is responsible for the learning that occurs during an olfactory-cued learning paradigm. We found that mice were able to acquire learned fear to an olfactory stimulus, and that this effect was enhanced in mice that received a BDNF agonist, 7,8-DHF, prior to training. Furthermore, mice that were olfactory fear conditioned exhibited increased levels of BDNF mRNA at 2 and 4 hours post training, in addition to increased BDNF protein levels at 2 hours post training. Structural plasticity was also seen in M71-IRES-tauLacZ transgenic mice that were treated with vehicle prior to olfactory fear conditioning, but not in those that received the BDNF agonist, 7,8,3-THF. These data suggest that BDNF plays a role in olfactory-dependent fear learning; however, further studies must be conducted in order to determine whether BDNF is responsible for the structural plasticity that occurs in the glomeruli during this process.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents
Introduction...1
Methods and Materials...9
Results...17
Discussion...20
Figure 1...25
Figure 2...26
Figure 3...27
Figure 4...28
Figure 5...29
Figure 6...30
Figure 7...31
Figure 8...32
Figure 9...33
Figure 10...34
Figure 11...35
Figure 12...36
References...37

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