Consolidation of Goal-Directed Action Depends on MAPK/ERK Signaling in Rodent Prelimbic Cortex.

ABSTRACT: The prelimbic prefrontal cortex (PL) has consistently been found to be necessary for the acquisition of goal-directed actions in rodents. Nevertheless, the specific cellular processes underlying this learning remain unknown. We assessed changes in learning-related expression of mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-related kinase (MAPK/ERK1/2) phosphorylation (pERK) in layers 2-3 and 5-6 of the anterior and posterior PL and in the population of neurons projecting to posterior dorsomedial striatum (pDMS), also implicated in goal-directed learning. Rats were given either a single session of training to press a lever for a pellet reward or yoked reward deliveries without instrumental training and assessed 5 or 60 min after training for pERK expression. Relative to yoked traini

SUBMITTER: Hart G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6604924 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature