Abstract
The capabilities of learning and memory in parents are presumably transmitted to their offsprings, in which genetic codes and epigenetic regulations are thought as molecular bases. As neural plasticity occurs during memory formation as cellular mechanism, we aim to examine the correlation of activity strengths at cortical glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons to the transgenerational inheritance of learning ability. In a mouse model of associative learning, paired whisker and odor stimulations led to odorant-induced whisker motion, whose onset appeared fast (high learning efficiency, HLE) or slow (low learning efficiency, LLE). HLE male and female mice, HLE female and LLE male mice as well as HLE male and LLE female mice were cross-mated to have their first generation of offsprings, filials (F1). The onset of odorant-induced whisker motion appeared a sequence of high-to-low efficiency in three groups of F1 mice that were from HLE male and female mice, HLE female and LLE male mice as well as HLE male and LLE female mice. Activities related to glutamatergic neurons in barrel cortices appeared a sequence of high-to-low strength in these F1 mice from HLE male and female mice, HLE female and LLE male mice as well as HLE male and LLE female mice. Activities related to GABAergic neurons in barrel cortices appeared a sequence of low-to-high strength in these F1 mice from HLE male and female mice, HLE female and LLE male mice as well as HLE male and LLE female mice. Neuronal activity strength was linearly correlated to learning efficiency among three groups. Thus, the coordinated activities at glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons may constitute the cellular basis for the transgenerational inheritance of learning ability.
Highlights
Associative learning is a common way for information acquisition
As neuronal plasticity occurs in associative memory [18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27], we study whether neuronal activity strengths in the brain areas of information storage are correlated with associative learning efficiency as one of cellular bases for the transgenerational inheritance of learning ability
In terms of cellular bases for this transgenerational inheritance of learning ability from F1 mice, barrel cortical glutamatergic neurons are upregulated in their excitatory synaptic transmission and spiking ability as well as are downregulated in their inhibitory synaptic transmission, especially those mice with high learning efficiency (Figures 2–4), while GABAergic neurons are downregulated in their excitatory synaptic transmission and spike ability (Figures 5–6)
Summary
Associative learning is a common way for information acquisition. Associative memory is essential for logical reasoning and associative thinking [1, 2]. Parent cognition behaviors are directly transmitted to their offspring, such as specific odor-induced fear memory [3] and anti-predation behavior [4]. The parent’s ability of learning and memory is transmitted to offspring [5,6,7,8]. As neuronal plasticity occurs in associative memory [18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27], we study whether neuronal activity strengths in the brain areas of information storage are correlated with associative learning efficiency as one of cellular bases for the transgenerational inheritance of learning ability
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