Protein kinase inhibitors disrupt memory formation in two chick brain regions.

The amnesic effects of protein kinase inhibitors (H-7, HA-156, TFP, W-9, and W-13) on memory formation for a one trial peck-avoidance task in chicks were investigated with bilateral and unilateral injections into either the left or the right intermediate medial hyperstriatum ventrale (IMHV) or the left or right lobus parolfactorius (LPO). All five inhibitors injected bilaterally 5 min pretraining into either the IMHV or LPO or unilaterally into the left IMHV produced amnesia. Unilateral injections into the right IMHV did not produce amnesia. Unilateral injections of W-9 or W-13 into the left but not the right LPO produced amnesia, H-7, HA-156, or TFP did not produce amnesia when injected unilaterally into either the left or right LPO. The time of onset of amnesia produced by injecting TFP and W-13 into the LPO occurred 45 min after training, whereas H-7 produced amnesia significantly later (90 min after training). Amnesia induced by TFP, W-13, and H-7 injected into the LPO occurred significantly later than amnesia produced when these agents were injected into the IMHV. Together these data suggest that the IMHV and LPO process memory sequentially using various protein kinase activities.