Distinctive roles for amygdalar CREB in reconsolidation and extinction of fear memory (original) (raw)

  1. Shari L. Wiseman2,
  2. Rachael L. Neve3,
  3. Eric J. Nestler4,
  4. Peter Olausson2 and
  5. Jane R. Taylor2,5
  6. 1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
  7. 2Department of Psychiatry, Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities, New Haven, Connecticut 06508, USA
  8. 3Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
  9. 4Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York 10029, USA

Abstract

Cyclic AMP response element binding protein (CREB) plays a critical role in fear memory formation. Here we determined the role of CREB selectively within the amygdala in reconsolidation and extinction of auditory fear. Viral overexpression of the inducible cAMP early repressor (ICER) or the dominant-negative mCREB, specifically within the lateral amygdala disrupted reconsolidation of auditory fear memories. In contrast, manipulations of CREB in the amygdala did not modify extinction of fear. These findings suggest that the role of CREB in modulation of memory after retrieval is dynamic and that CREB activity in the basolateral amygdala is involved in fear memory reconsolidation.

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