Long-Term Memory Engram Cells Are Established by c-Fos/CREB Transcriptional Cycling

• DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.11.022
• Publication Date: 2018-12-04T16:01:41Z
• Authors: Tomoyuki Miyashita; Emi Kikuchi; Junjiro Horiuchi; Minoru Saitoe
• Keywords: Engram; c-Fos; Long-term memory; Immediate early gene

Training-dependent increases in c-fos have been used to identify engram cells encoding long-term memories (LTMs). However, the interaction between transcription factors required for LTM, including CREB and c-Fos, activating kinases such as phosphorylated ERK (pERK) establishment of memory engrams has unclear. Formation LTM an aversive olfactory association flies requires repeated training trials with rest intervals trainings. Here, we find that prolonged interval-dependent pERK induce transcriptional cycling c-Fos a subset KCs mushroom bodies, where associations are made stored. Preexisting is initial induction, while later increase expression. Blocking or c-fos-positive neurons inhibits recall induces memory-associated behaviors. Our results suggest c-Fos/CREB defines LTM.