Memory in Caenorhabditis elegans is mediated by NMDA-type ionotropic glutamate receptors.

ABSTRACT: Learning and memory are essential processes of both vertebrate and invertebrate nervous systems that allow animals to survive and reproduce. The neurotransmitter glutamate signals via ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) that have been linked to learning and memory formation; however, the signaling pathways that contribute to these behaviors are still not well understood. We therefore undertook a genetic and electrophysiological analysis of learning and memory in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Here, we show that two genes, nmr-1 and nmr-2, are predicted to encode the subunits of an NMDA-type (NMDAR) iGluR that is necessary for memory retention in C. elegans. We cloned nmr-2, generated a deletion mutation in the gene, and showed that like nmr-1, nmr-2 is required for in vivo NMDA-g

SUBMITTER: Kano T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2645413 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature