LATE MEMORY-RELATED GENES IN THE HIPPOCAMPUS REVEALED BY RNA FINGERPRINTING

Although long-term memory is thought to require a cellular program of gene expression and increased protein synthesis, the identity of prote ins critical for associative memory is largely unknown. We used RNA fi ngerprinting to identify candidate memory-related genes (MRGs), which were up-regulated in the hippocampus of water maze-trained rats, a bra in area that is critically involved in spatial learning. Two of the or iginal 10 candidate genes implicated by RNA fingerprinting, the rat ho molog of the ryanodine receptor type-2 and glutamate dehydrogenase (EC 1.4.1.3), were further investigated by Northern blot analysis, revers e transcription-PCR, and in situ hybridization and confirmed as MRGs w ith distinct temporal and regional expression. Successive RNA screenin g as illustrated here may help to reveal a spectrum of MRGs as they ap pear in distinct domains of memory storage.