Protein synthesis is essential not only for consolidation but also for maintenance and post-retrieval reconsolidation of acrobatic motor skill in rats

Ji-Yun Peng,Bao-Ming Li

doi:10.1186/1756-6606-2-12

Abstract

It has been reported that consolidation of motor skill, a type of non-declarative memories, requires protein synthesis, as hippocampus-dependent declarative memory does. However, little is known about the importance of protein synthesis in maintenance and especially post-retrieval reconsolidation of acrobatic motor skill. Here, we show that protein synthesis is essential not only for the consolidation but also for the maintenance and reconsolidation of a rotarod-running skill. Intra-ventricle infusion of the protein synthesis inhibitor anisomycin 0 h but not 2 h post-training caused a severe deficit in the acquisition of the rotarod-running skill. Protein synthesis inhibition (PSI) also caused a deficit in the maintenance of the rotarod-running skill, as well-trained rats demonstrated a deficit in the rotarod-running performance upon treatment with anisomycin. Similarly, PSI impaired the post-retrieval reconsolidation of the rotarod-running skill: well-trained rats treated with anisomycin 0 h but not 0.5, 2 and 4 h after the task performance exhibited amnesia for the running skill later on. Interestingly, rats treated with anisomycin 6 and 12 h post-retrieval exhibited amnesia for the running skill. Thus, protein synthesis is essential not only for the consolidation but also for the maintenance and post-retrieval reconsolidation of rotarod-running acrobatic motor skill.

Highlights

It is known that consolidation and post-retrieval reconsolidation of hippocampus- or amygdala-dependent memories requires new protein synthesis [1,2,3,4,5]
Molecular Brain 2009, 2:12 http://www.molecularbrain.com/content/2/1/12 this question, we investigated the effects of protein synthesis inhibition (PSI) on the consolidation, maintenance and reconsolidation of an acrobatic motor skill in rats running on a rotating rod
The rats treated with anisomycin 0 h post-trial failed to acquire the running skill: their performance was not improved with training and was correspondingly poor on the testing trials

Summary

Introduction

It is known that consolidation and post-retrieval reconsolidation of hippocampus- or amygdala-dependent memories requires new protein synthesis [1,2,3,4,5]. Previous studies suggest that acquisition or consolidation of motor skills requires protein synthesis [6,7]. Pre-training intra-peritoneal administration of cycloheximide, a relatively new protein synthesis inhibitor, blocked the between-session improvement of performance on an acrobatic motor skill [7]. Acquisition or consolidation of motor skills requires new protein synthesis. It is unclear if maintenance and post-activation reconsolidation of motor skills requires protein synthesis.

Methods

Results

Conclusion