Translational control of auditory imprinting and structural plasticity by eIF2α
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, United States
- Baylor College of Medicine, United States
Abstract
The formation of imprinted memories during a critical period is crucial for vital behaviors, including filial attachment. Yet, little is known about the underlying molecular mechanisms. Using a combination of behavior, pharmacology, in vivo surface sensing of translation (SUnSET) and DiOlistic labeling we found that, translational control by the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 alpha (eIF2α) bidirectionally regulates auditory but not visual imprinting and related changes in structural plasticity in chickens. Increasing phosphorylation of eIF2α (p-eIF2α) reduces translation rates and spine plasticity, and selectively impairs auditory imprinting. By contrast, inhibition of an eIF2α kinase or blocking the translational program controlled by p-eIF2α enhances auditory imprinting. Importantly, these manipulations are able to reopen the critical period. Thus, we have identified a translational control mechanism that selectively underlies auditory imprinting. Restoring translational control of eIF2α holds the promise to rejuvenate adult brain plasticity and restore learning and memory in a variety of cognitive disorders.
Article and author information
Author details
Mauro Costa-Mattioli
Funding
International Society for Neroethology (Konishi Research Award 2016)
- Gervasio Batista
National Institutes of Health (DC007690)
- Jose L Pena
Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (Pilot grant)
- Jose L Pena
National Institutes of Health (NIMH 096816,NINDS 076708)
- Mauro Costa-Mattioli
The funders had no role in study design, data collection and interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publication.
Ethics
Animal experimentation: Experiments and euthanasia method were approved by the institutional animal care committee (IACUC) at Albert Einstein College of Medicine (protocol 20140910).
Copyright
© 2016, Batista et al.
This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License permitting unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.
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Translational control of auditory imprinting and structural plasticity by eIF2α
eLife 5:e17197.
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.17197
