Protease-activated receptor-1 (PAR1) function in memory formation and synaptic plasticity.
-
1
University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Neurobiology and Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, United States
-
2
The Scripps Research Institute , Department of Neuroscience, Scripps Florida, United States
Protease-activated receptor-1 (PAR1) is a member of a family of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) that is activated by proteolytic cleavage of its amino terminus by serine proteases, such as thrombin and plasmin. While previous work has shown that inhibiting PAR1 activation is neuroprotective in models of ischemia, traumatic injury, and neurotoxicity, surprisingly little is known about PAR1’s roles in normal brain function. In the CNS, PAR1 is expressed in the amygdala and the hippocampus, which are two brain regions critical for memory formation. Within the hippocampus, PAR1 is expressed predominantly in astrocytes. Mounting evidence indicates that activation of certain Gï¡q-coupled GPCRs in astrocytes results in the release of various neurotransmitters, a process which can modulate synaptic activity. Prior studies have shown that PAR1 activity results in gliotransmission, which leads to activation of downstream effectors known to influence memory formation. We have previously demonstrated that PAR1 knockout mice have impaired performance in passive avoidance and cued fear-conditioning tasks, suggesting an important and specific role for PAR1 in memory formation. Here we report that PAR1 knockout mice show decreased levels of long-term potentiation at Schaffer collateral-CA1 synapses, while having normal baseline synaptic transmission at these same inputs. These data suggest that normal PAR1 function is important for glial-neuronal interactions subserving learning and memory.
Conference:
2010 South East Nerve Net (SENN) and Georgia/South Carolina Neuroscience Consortium (GASCNC) conferences, Atlanta , United States, 5 Mar - 7 Mar, 2010.
Presentation Type:
Oral Presentation
Topic:
Talks
Citation:
Almonte
AG,
Rumbaugh
GR and
Sweatt
DJ
(2010). Protease-activated receptor-1 (PAR1) function in memory formation and synaptic plasticity..
Front. Neurosci.
Conference Abstract:
2010 South East Nerve Net (SENN) and Georgia/South Carolina Neuroscience Consortium (GASCNC) conferences.
doi: 10.3389/conf.fnins.2010.04.00003
Copyright:
The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers.
They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters.
The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated.
Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed.
For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions.
Received:
15 Mar 2010;
Published Online:
15 Mar 2010.
*
Correspondence:
Antoine G Almonte, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Neurobiology and Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, Birmingham, United States, agalmonte@nrc.uab.edu