Showing papers by "Carol A. Barnes published in 2002"

Experience-Dependent Coincident Expression of the Effector Immediate-Early Genes Arc and Homer 1a in Hippocampal and Neocortical Neuronal Networks

Abstract: The transcription of the immediate-early genes Arc and Homer 1a ( H1a ) is dynamically regulated in response to synaptic activity; their protein products function at the postsynaptic sites of excitatory synapses. Previous studies demonstrate a role for Arc in the maintenance of long-term potentiation and in memory consolidation processes and indicate a role for H1a in modifying glutamatergic signaling pathways. Using double-label fluorescence in situ hybridization, we demonstrate that Arc and H1a RNA expression is induced strongly in the same neurons of rat hippocampus and neocortex after exploration of a novel environment. These findings support the view that novel experience activates a cell-specific genomic program and that Arc and H1a may function in concert in the structural and functional modifications of dendrites that lead to long-term changes in synaptic efficacy.

Making room for new memories.

Abstract: A new finding suggests that memory removal may be an active process, as blocking NMDA receptors after induction of long-term potentiation prolongs LTP and memory retention.