The staufen/pumilio pathway is involved in Drosophila long-term memory

Dubnau, J. T., Chiang, A. S., Grady, L., Barditch, J., Gossweiler, S., McNeil, J., Smith, P., Buldoc, F. V., Scott, R., Certa, U., Broger, C., Tully, T. (February 2003) The staufen/pumilio pathway is involved in Drosophila long-term memory. Current Biology, 13 (4). pp. 286-296. ISSN 0960-9822

URL: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12593794
DOI: 10.1016/S0960-9822(03)00064-2

Abstract

Background: Memory formation after olfactory learning in Drosophila displays behavioral and molecular properties similar to those of other species. Particularly, long-term memory requires CREB-dependent transcription, suggesting the regulation of "downstream" genes. At the cellular level, long-lasting synaptic plasticity in many species also appears to depend on CREB-mediated gene transcription and subsequent structural and functional modification of relevant synapses. To date, little is known about the molecular-genetic mechanisms that contribute to this process during memory formation. Results: We used two complementary strategies to identify these genes. From DNA microarrays, we identified 42 candidate memory genes that appear to be transcriptionally regulated in normal flies during memory formation. Via mutagenesis, we have independently identified 60 mutants with defective long-term memory and have defined molecular lesions for 58 of these. The pumilio translational repressor was found from both approaches, along with six additional genes with established roles in local control of mRNA translation. In vivo disruptions of four genes-staufen, pumilio, oskar, and eIF-5C-yield defective memory. Conclusions: Convergent findings from our behavioral screen for memory mutants and DNA microarray analysis of transcriptional responses during memory formation in normal animals suggest the involvement of the pumilio/staufen pathway in memory. Behavioral experiments confirm a role for this pathway and suggest a molecular mechanism for synapse-specific modification.

Item Type: Paper
Uncontrolled Keywords: ELEMENT BINDING PROTEIN Element binding protein MESSENGER RNA TRANSPORT Messenger RNA transport NMDA RECEPTOR NMDA receptor ACTIVATION Activation CAMP RESPONSIVE ELEMENT Camp responsive element APLYSIA SENSORY NEURONS Aplysia sensory neurons HIPPOCAMPAL NEURONS Hippocampal neurons GENETIC DISSECTION Genetic dissection SYNAPTIC SITES Synaptic sites MUSHROOM BODY Mushroom body CYTOPLASMIC POLYADENYLATION Cytoplasmic polyadenylation
Subjects: organism description > animal > insect > Drosophila
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification > genes, structure and function > gene expression
organism description > animal behavior > memory
CSHL Authors:
Communities: CSHL labs > Dubnau lab
CSHL labs > Tully lab
School of Biological Sciences > Publications
Depositing User: Brian Soldo
Date: February 2003
Date Deposited: 23 Mar 2012 14:03
Last Modified: 23 Jan 2015 19:59
Related URLs:
URI: https://repository.cshl.edu/id/eprint/25420

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