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Effect of MK-801-induced impairment of inhibitory avoidance learning in zebrafish via inactivation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in telencephalon

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Abstract

N-Methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors are implicated in a wide range of complex behavioral functions, including cognitive activity. Numerous studies have shown that using the repetitive administration of a noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist, MK-801, induces amnesia in rodents. In this study, the effect of a subchronic MK-801 treatment on the cognitive function of zebrafish was evaluated using a novel inhibitory avoidance task. First, we established a new system to investigate the inhibitory avoidance learning of zebrafish where they were trained to refrain from swimming from a shallow compartment to a deep compartment in order to avoid electric shock. Second, we found that blocking NMDA receptors by MK-801 could significantly attenuate the inhibitory avoidance behavior of the zebrafish and alter the telencephalic extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation level 90 min after the inhibitory avoidance training. These results suggest that the formation of long-term emotional memory is possibly mediated by ERK activation in the telencephalon of zebrafish.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a research grant from National Science Council, Taiwan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Ming-Chong Ng, Chun-Po Hsu, Yao-Ju Wu, Shih-Yu Wu & Kwok-Tung Lu

  2. Department of Biochemical Science and Technology, National Chia-Yi University, Chia-Yi, Taiwan

    Yi-Ling Yang

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  1. Ming-Chong Ng
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  2. Chun-Po Hsu
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  3. Yao-Ju Wu
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  4. Shih-Yu Wu
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  5. Yi-Ling Yang
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Correspondence to Kwok-Tung Lu.

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Ming-Chong Ng and Chun-Po Hsu have contributed equally to this work.

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Ng, MC., Hsu, CP., Wu, YJ. et al. Effect of MK-801-induced impairment of inhibitory avoidance learning in zebrafish via inactivation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in telencephalon. Fish Physiol Biochem 38, 1099–1106 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-011-9595-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-011-9595-8

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