Changes in the incorporation of [ 3H]fucose into rat hippocampus after acquisition of a brightness discrimination reaction. An electrophoretic study

Abstract

Using a brightness discrimination model in rats, the electrophoretic analysis of post-training (1) Several gel bands from the ‘area dentata’ exhibited a training-related increase in labelling during the early post-training period only. (2) In contrast to the ‘area dentata’, the post-training increase in labelling of the gel bands from region ‘CA3’ (predominantly slow-moving proteins) occurred, after a silent period during the early phase of consolidation, 7–9 h upon completion of training. (3) The material in region ‘CA1’ showed a two-peak increase in labelling of gel bands, similar to that in region ‘CA3’, but the training-related changes occurred in the period between 3 and 9 h after training. The different timing of alterations in the individual sub-regions of the hippocampus formation is discussed with respect to the function of this brain area in the comparison and storage of incoming information on the basis of its cascade circuitry. Alterations in the ‘area dentata’ seem to reflect changes in macromolecular processes operating mainly in the early post-training period, while the following stepwise signal processing to ‘CA3’ and ‘CA1’ appears to be involved during the late period of consolidation.