RADISH, A DROSOPHILA MUTANT DEFICIENT IN CONSOLIDATED MEMORY

We have characterized the behavior and genetics of the Drosophila muta nt radish (rsh gene). Initial learning of radish flies in two olfactor y discrimination tests is high, but subsequent memory decays rapidly a t both early and late times after training. Anesthesia-resistant memor y (consolidated memory) is undetectable in radish flies 3 hr after tra ining. The mutant shows normal locomotor activity and normal sensitivi ty to the odor cues and electric-shock reinforcement used in the learn ing tests. The radish gene maps within a 180-kb interval in the 11D-E region of the X chromosome.