DISSOCIATION BETWEEN GENES ACTIVATED IN LONG-TERM POTENTIATION AND INSPATIAL-LEARNING IN THE RAT

We have compared changes in mRNA of three genes, zif268, raf B, and sy ntaxin 1B, following the unilateral induction of longterm potentiation (LTP) in rats previously trained in a water maze, and in behaviourall y naive animals. mRNA of all three genes was enhanced in the potentiat ed dentate gyrus of naive animals 3 h after the induction of LTP. Trai ning did not affect expression of mRNA for zif268 or for syntaxin IB. Expression of raf B was enhanced by training, and in trained animals t he LTP-associated increase in expression of raf B was occluded. These results suggest that LTP and spatial training engage a common pathway utilizing an increase in mRNA for raf B, and demonstrate a dissociatio n between LTP and spatial learning with respect to expression of zif26 8 and syntaxin 1B. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights r eserved.