Preservation of a remote fear memory requires new myelin formation.
Nat Neurosci
; 23(4): 487-499, 2020 04.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-32042175
ABSTRACT
Experience-dependent myelination is hypothesized to shape neural circuit function and subsequent behavioral output. Using a contextual fear memory task in mice, we demonstrate that fear learning induces oligodendrocyte precursor cells to proliferate and differentiate into myelinating oligodendrocytes in the medial prefrontal cortex. Transgenic animals that cannot form new myelin exhibit deficient remote, but not recent, fear memory recall. Recording population calcium dynamics by fiber photometry, we observe that the neuronal response to conditioned context cues evolves over time in the medial prefrontal cortex, but not in animals that cannot form new myelin. Finally, we demonstrate that pharmacological induction of new myelin formation with clemastine fumarate improves remote memory recall and promotes fear generalization. Thus, bidirectional manipulation of myelin plasticity functionally affects behavior and neurophysiology, which suggests that neural activity during fear learning instructs the formation of new myelin, which in turn supports the consolidation and/or retrieval of remote fear memories.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Conditioning, Classical
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Cell Proliferation
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Fear
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Memory, Long-Term
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Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cells
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Myelin Sheath
Limits:
Animals
Language:
En
Journal:
Nat Neurosci
Journal subject:
NEUROLOGIA
Year:
2020
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
United States