Genetic Evidence for a Role of CREB in Sustained Cortical Arousal

• Published in: Journal of neurophysiology 2003-08, Vol.90 (2), p.1152-1159
• Main Authors: Graves, Laurel A, Hellman, Kevin, Veasey, Sigrid, Blendy, Julie A, Pack, Allan I, Abel, Ted
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Arousal - genetics; Arousal - physiology; Cerebral Cortex - physiology; Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein - genetics; Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein - physiology; Electroencephalography; Mice; Mice, Mutant Strains; Sleep - genetics; Sleep - physiology; Sleep Deprivation; Sleep, REM - physiology; Theta Rhythm
• ISSN: 0022-3077; 1522-1598
• DOI: 10.1152/jn.00882.2002

1 Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 2 Center for Sleep and Respiratory Neurobiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 3 Department of Pharmacology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 4 Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 Submitted 3 October 2002; accepted in final form 7 April 2003 The cyclic AMP-response element binding protein (CREB) is an activity-dependent transcription factor important for synaptic plasticity and memory storage. Levels of phosphorylated CREB within the cortex are higher in waking than in sleep, suggesting that CREB plays a role in sleep/wake regulation in mammals. We tested the hypothesis that CREB is critical for sleep/wake regulation by examining behavioral state parameters in mice lacking the and isoforms of CREB. Over 24 h, time spent awake was significantly decreased in CREB mutant mice by approximately 100 min, and time spent in nonrapid eye movement sleep (NREM) sleep was increased correspondingly. Wake and REM sleep periods were shorter in CREB mice, and CREB mice had decreased levels of -activity during wake and REM sleep, consistent with an impairment in the ability to maintain an activated electroencephalogram. These results suggest that the CREB protein contributes to the mechanisms by which wakefulness is maintained and demonstrate that specific genetic alterations in species as diverse as Drosophila and mice produce similar phenotypes in arousal and wakefulness. Address for reprint requests: T. Abel, Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, 38 th Street and Hamilton Walk, 319 Leidy Labs, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (E-mail: abele{at}sas.upenn.edu ).