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Integrin-mediated short-term memory in Drosophila
- Source :
- Nature. 391(6666)
- Publication Year :
- 1998
-
Abstract
- Volado is a new memory mutant of Drosophila. The locus encodes two isoforms of a new alpha-integrin, a molecule that dynamically mediates cell adhesion and signal transduction. The Volado gene is expressed preferentially in mushroom body cells, which are neurons known to mediate olfactory learning in insects. Volado proteins are concentrated in the mushroom body neuropil, brain areas that contain mushroom body processes in synaptic contact with other neurons. Volado mutants display impaired olfactory memories within 3 min of training, indicating that the integrin is required for short-term memory processes. Conditional expression of a Volado transgene during adulthood rescues the memory impairment. This rescue of memory is reversible, fading over time along with expression of the transgene. Thus the Volado integrin is essential for the physiological processes underlying memory. We propose a model in which integrins act as dynamic regulators of synapse structure or the signalling events underlying short-term memory formation.
- Subjects :
- Integrins
Transgene
Integrin
Molecular Sequence Data
Gene Expression
Nerve Tissue Proteins
Olfaction
Biology
Neuropil
medicine
Animals
Amino Acid Sequence
Transgenes
Cloning, Molecular
Cell adhesion
Neurons
Multidisciplinary
Neuronal Plasticity
Cell biology
Smell
medicine.anatomical_structure
Memory, Short-Term
Mutagenesis
Mushroom bodies
biology.protein
Drosophila
Olfactory Learning
Signal transduction
Cell Adhesion Molecules
Heat-Shock Response
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 00280836
- Volume :
- 391
- Issue :
- 6666
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Nature
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....0e6393122681d07db3562f6f4805c997