Deletion of PTEN produces deficits in conditioned fear and increases fragile X mental retardation protein

Learn Mem. 2013 Nov 15;20(12):670-3. doi: 10.1101/lm.032839.113.

Abstract

The phosphatase and tensin homolog detected on chromosome 10 (PTEN) gene product modulates activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT pathway. The PI3K pathway has been found to be involved in the regulation of the fragile X mental retardation protein, which is important for long-term depression and in the formation of new memories. We used delayed fear conditioning and trace fear conditioning to determine learning and memory deficits in neuron subset-specific Pten (NS-Pten) conditional knockout (KO) mice. We found that NS-Pten KO mice had deficits in contextual learning and trace conditioning, but did not have deficits in the ability to learn a conditioned stimulus. Furthermore, we found increased levels in the total and phosphorylated forms of the fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) in the hippocampus of NS-Pten KO mice.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Conditioning, Classical / physiology*
  • Cues
  • Fear / physiology*
  • Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein / metabolism*
  • Gene Expression Regulation / genetics*
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Hippocampus / metabolism
  • Memory Disorders / genetics*
  • Memory Disorders / pathology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Oncogene Protein v-akt / metabolism
  • PTEN Phosphohydrolase / deficiency*
  • PTEN Phosphohydrolase / genetics
  • Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases, 90-kDa / metabolism

Substances

  • Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Oncogene Protein v-akt
  • Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases, 90-kDa
  • Rps6ka1 protein, mouse
  • PTEN Phosphohydrolase
  • Pten protein, mouse