Disrupting memory expression and reconsolidation: the role of astrocytic glutamate uptake in spatial and aversive memories

JUAN G. RIBOLDI; MATIAS RENFIJES; JULIETA CORREA; HAYDEE VIOLA

Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Congreso; IV Reunion de Biologia del Comportamiento del Cono Sur; 2023

The objective of this work was to study the role of glutamate transporter GLT-1, specifically located in astrocytes, in learning and memory processes. Here, we used the spatial object recognition (SOR) and the Contextual Fear Conditioning (CFC) tasks in rats to study the effect of GLT-1 inhibition. We administered dihydrokainic acid (DHK), a selective GLT-1 inhibitor, in the hippocampus to affect different stages of memory. We observed that the hippocampal inhibition of GLT-1 impaired short term memory (STM), and long term memory (LTM) expression in both paradigms when applied 15 minutes before the test session. Furthermore, if applied around a reactivation session, DHK impairs reconsolidation in both paradigms as well. These findings reveal that the glutamate homeostasis mediated by GLT-1 at the time of memory expression, is a key mechanism involved in spatial and aversive memories disruption, and suggesting that there are shared mechanisms involved in the processing of these learnings.