Schafe Glenn E, Bauer Elizabeth P, Rosis Svetlana, Farb Claudia R, Rodrigues Sarina M, LeDoux Joseph E
Department of Psychology, Yale University, 2 Hillhouse Ave, Box 208205, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
Eur J Neurosci. 2005 Jul;22(1):201-11. doi: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2005.04209.x.
Nitric oxide (NO) has been widely implicated in synaptic plasticity and memory formation. In studies of long-term potentiation (LTP), NO is thought to serve as a 'retrograde messenger' that contributes to presynaptic aspects of LTP expression. In this study, we examined the role of NO signaling in Pavlovian fear conditioning. We first show that neuronal nitric oxide synthase is localized in the lateral nucleus of the amygdala (LA), a critical site of plasticity in fear conditioning. We next show that NO signaling is required for LTP at thalamic inputs to the LA and for the long-term consolidation of auditory fear conditioning. Collectively, the findings suggest that NO signaling is an important component of memory formation of auditory fear conditioning, possibly as a retrograde signal that participates in presynaptic aspects of plasticity in the LA.
一氧化氮（NO）在突触可塑性和记忆形成中具有广泛影响。在长期增强（LTP）研究中，NO被认为作为一种“逆行信使”，对LTP表达的突触前方面起作用。在本研究中，我们研究了NO信号在巴甫洛夫恐惧条件反射中的作用。我们首先表明，神经元型一氧化氮合酶定位于杏仁核外侧核（LA），这是恐惧条件反射中可塑性的关键部位。接下来我们表明，NO信号对于丘脑输入到LA的LTP以及听觉恐惧条件反射的长期巩固是必需的。总体而言，这些发现表明，NO信号是听觉恐惧条件反射记忆形成的重要组成部分，可能作为一种逆行信号参与LA可塑性的突触前方面。
