Drosophila learning and memory: recent progress and new approaches

Belvin, M. P., Yin, J. C. (December 1997) Drosophila learning and memory: recent progress and new approaches. Bioessays, 19 (12). pp. 1083-9. ISSN 0265-9247 (Print)

URL: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9423347
DOI: 10.1002/bies.950191207

Abstract

The processes of learning and memory have traditionally been studied in large experimental organisms (Aplysia, mice, rats and humans), where well-characterized behaviors are easily tested. Although Drosophila is one of the most experimentally tractable organisms, it has only recently joined the others as a model organism for learning and memory. Drosophila behavior has been studied for over 20 years; however, most of the work in the learning and memory field has focused on initial learning, because establishing memory in Drosophila has not been as straightforward as in other organisms. A major recent advance in this field has been the development of a training protocol that induces long-term memory in files. This made possible experiments that implicated the Drosophila CREB gene as a critical component in the consolidation of long-term memory, and paves the way for future experiments utilizing the well developed tools in Drosophila. This review will briefly summarize what is known in the field of Drosophila learning and memory to date, and discuss why the unique aspects of this field make traditional approaches difficult and reward the use of alternative paths of experimentation.

Item Type: Paper
Uncontrolled Keywords: Animals Aplysia Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein/genetics Drosophila Genes, Insect Genetics, Behavioral Humans Learning/ physiology Memory/ physiology Mice Rats
Subjects: organism description > animal > insect > Drosophila
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > protein structure, function, modification > protein types > transcription factor > Cyclic AMP
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification > genes, structure and function
organism description > animal behavior > learning
organism description > animal behavior > memory
CSHL Authors:
Communities: CSHL labs > Yin lab
Depositing User: Kathleen Darby
Date: December 1997
Date Deposited: 07 May 2014 15:20
Last Modified: 07 May 2014 15:20
Related URLs:
URI: https://repository.cshl.edu/id/eprint/30028

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