Knockdown of CLC-3 in the hippocampal CA1 impairs contextual fear memory

Publication date: Available online 17 July 2018Source: Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological PsychiatryAuthor(s): Ye-Fei Chen, Zi-Xiang Chen, Run-Hua Wang, Yan-Wei Shi, Li Xue, Xiao-Guang Wang, Hu ZhaoAbstractPrevious studies support a critical role of hippocampus in contextual fear memory. Structural and functional alterations of hippocampus occur frequently in posttraumatic stress disorders (PTSD). Recent reports reveal that knockout of CLC-3, a member of the CLC family of anion channels and transporters, leads to neuronal degeneration and loss of hippocampus. However, the role of CLC-3 in contextual fear memory remains unknown. Using adenovirus and adeno-associated virus gene transfer to knockdown CLC-3 in hippocampal CA1, we investigate the role of CLC-3 in contextual fear memory. CLC-3 expression is increased in hippocampal CA1 after formation of long-term contextual fear memory. Knockdown of CLC-3 by adenovirus infusion in hippocampal CA1 significantly attenuates the contextual fear memory, reduces spine density, induces defects of excitatory synaptic ultrastructure showed by the decreased PSD length, PSD thickness and active zone length, and impairs L-LTP induction and maintenance. Knockdown of CLC-3 also induces the synaptic NMDAR subunit composition to an increased GluN2A/GluN2B ratio pattern and reduces the activity of CaMKII-α. Furthermore, selectively knockdown of CLC-3 in excitatory neurons by adeno-associated virus driven from CaMKII-α promoter i...
Source: Progress in Neuro Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry - Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research