Behavioral alterations in mice lacking the translation repressor 4E-BP2

• Published in: Neurobiology of learning and memory 2007-02, Vol.87 (2), p.248-256
• Main Authors: Banko, Jessica L., Merhav, Maayan, Stern, Elad, Sonenberg, Nahum, Rosenblum, Kobi, Klann, Eric
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amygdala; Animal behavior; Animals; Avoidance Learning - physiology; Behavior; Behavior, Animal - physiology; Behavioral psychophysiology; Biological and medical sciences; Cerebellum; eIF4E; Eukaryotic Initiation Factors - deficiency; Exploratory Behavior - physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hippocampus; Insular cortex; Learning and memory; Maze Learning - physiology; Memory; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Knockout; Motor ability; Motor Activity - genetics; Mutation; Neurosciences; Protein synthesis; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychomotor Performance - physiology; Reaction Time - genetics; Rodents; Rota-rod; Rotarod Performance Test - methods; Taste; Taste aversion; Time Factors; Translation initiation; Working memory
• ISSN: 1074-7427; 1095-9564
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2006.08.012

The requirement for de novo protein synthesis during multiple forms of learning, memory and behavior is well-established; however, we are only beginning to uncover the regulatory mechanisms that govern this process. In order to determine how translation initiation is regulated during neuroplasticity we engineered mutant C57Bl/6J mice that lack the translation repressor eukaryotic initiation factor 4E-binding protein 2 (4E-BP2) and have previously demonstrated that 4E-BP2 plays a critical role in hippocampus-dependent synaptic plasticity and memory. Herein, we examined the 4E-BP2 knockout mice in a battery of paradigms to address motor activity and motor skill learning, anxiety and social dominance behaviors, working memory and conditioned taste aversion. We found that the 4E-BP2 knockout mice demonstrated altered activity in the rotating rod test, light/dark exploration test, spontaneous alternation T-maze and conditioned taste aversion test. The information gained from these studies builds a solid foundation for future studies on the specific role of 4E-BP2 in various types of behavior, and for a broader, more detailed examination of the mechanisms of translational control in the brain.