NF-kappa B like DNA binding activity during long-term memory consolidation in the honey bee

SIELE ME; FREUDENTHAL R; ROMANO A; LOCATELLI F

Huerta Grande, Cordoba

Congreso; II REUNION CONJUNTA DE NEUROCIENCIAS; 2010

Sociedad Argentina de Neurociencias

NF-kappa B like DNA binding activity during long-term memory consolidation in the honey bee. María Eugenia Siele1, Ramiro Freudenthal2, Arturo Romano2, Fernando Locatelli2 Long-term memory consolidation requires de novo protein synthesis. Activation of transcription factors from the Rel/NF-kB family is crucial for memory consolidation in rodents and crabs. The recent sequencing of the honey bee Apis mellifera genome allowed identification of plausible orthologues for almost all NF-kB family members. As in mammals, activation of NF-kB plays also role during immune response in the honey bee. In the present study we investigate the role of this factor during consolidation of olfactory memory in honey bees. First, we calibrated conditions to measure activity (DNA binding) of NF-kB from brain extracts using and electro mobility shift assay (EMSA). Second, we observed an increase in DNA binding after a training protocol that induces long-term memory formation. Third, we are performing pharmacological experiments using an inhibitor of NF-kB activation (sulfasalazine) to test the functional role of NF-kB during memory formation. The access to the honey bee genome and the nucleotide sequence admit future experiments using RNA interference to specifically down regulate and test the contribution of different NF-KB family members. These results would represent the first report about participation of NF-kB in memory formation in insects. 1. Laboratorio de Dispositivos Moleculares. Depto de Química Inorgánica. INQUIMAE- CONICET. FCEyN. UBA. 2. Laboratorio de Neurobiología de la Memoria, Dpto. de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, IFIByNE (UBA CONICET), Ciudad de Buenos Aires.