Altered expression of synaptotagmin 13 mRNA in adult mouse brain after contextual fear conditioning

• Published in: Biochemical and biophysical research communications 2012-09, Vol.425 (4), p.880-885
• Main Authors: Han, Seungrie, Hong, Soontaek, Lee, Dongmin, Lee, Myeong-hoe, Choi, June-seek, Koh, Min Jung, Sun, Woong, Kim, Hyun, Lee, Hyun Woo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amygdala - metabolism; Animals; Brain - metabolism; Brain - physiology; Cerebral Cortex - metabolism; Cerebral Cortex - physiology; Conditioning, Classical - physiology; Contextual fear conditioning; Epithalamus - metabolism; Epithalamus - physiology; Fear - physiology; Gene Expression; Hypothalamus - metabolism; Hypothalamus - physiology; In situ hybridization; Memory - physiology; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; RNA, Messenger - biosynthesis; RNA, Messenger - genetics; Synaptotagmins - biosynthesis; Synaptotagmins - genetics; Syt13; Thalamus - metabolism; Thalamus - physiology
• ISSN: 0006-291X; 1090-2104
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2012.07.166

► Contextual fear memory processing dynamically regulates neural activity and gene expression in brain. ► Synaptotagmin 13 is highly expressed in brain, but its functional roles have not yet been clarified. ► Contextual fear conditioning increases Syt13 mRNA expression in various regions of adult mouse brain. Contextual fear memory processing requires coordinated changes in neuronal activity and molecular networks within brain. A large number of fear memory-related genes, however, still remain to be identified. Synaptotagmin 13 (Syt13), an atypical member of synaptotagmin family, is highly expressed in brain, but its functional roles within brain have not yet been clarified. Here, we report that the expression of Syt13 mRNA in adult mouse brain was altered following contextual fear conditioning. C57BL/6 mice were exposed to a novel context and stimulated by strong electrical footshock according to a contextual fear conditioning protocol. After 24h, the mice were re-exposed to the context without electrical footshock for the retrieval of contextual fear memory. To investigate the relationship between Syt13 and contextual fear memory, we carried out in situ hybridization and analyzed gene expression patterns for Syt13 at four groups representing temporal changes in brain activity during contextual fear memory formation. Contextual fear conditioning test induced significant changes in mRNA levels for Syt13 within various brain regions, including lateral amygdala, somatosensory cortex, piriform cortex, habenula, thalamus, and hypothalamus, during both acquisition and retrieval sessions. Our data suggest that Syt13 may be involved in the process of contextual fear memory.