Article abstract
Nature Neuroscience 10, 1587 - 1593 (2007)
Published online: 28 October 2007 | doi:10.1038/nn1996
Function of the Drosophila CPEB protein Orb2 in long-term courtship memory
Krystyna Keleman1,2, Sebastian Krüttner1,2, Mattias Alenius1 & Barry J Dickson1
Abstract
Both long-term behavioral memory and synaptic plasticity require protein synthesis, some of which may occur locally at specific synapses. Cytoplasmic polyadenylation element–binding (CPEB) proteins are thought to contribute to the local protein synthesis that underlies long-term changes in synaptic efficacy, but a role has not been established for them in the formation of long-term behavioral memory. We found that the Drosophila melanogaster CPEB protein Orb2 is acutely required for long-term conditioning of male courtship behavior. Deletion of the N-terminal glutamine-rich region of Orb2 resulted in flies that were impaired in their ability to form long-term, but not short-term, memory. Memory was restored by expressing Orb2 selectively in fruitless (fru)-positive 
neurons of the mushroom bodies and by providing Orb2 function in mushroom bodies only during and shortly after training. Our data thus demonstrate that a CPEB protein is important in long-term memory and map the molecular, spatial and temporal requirements for its function in memory formation.
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology, Dr. Bohr-gasse 7, A-1030 Vienna, Austria.
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Dr. Bohr-gasse 3-5, A-1030 Vienna, Austria.
Correspondence to: Krystyna Keleman1,2 e-mail: keleman@imp.ac.at
Correspondence to: Barry J Dickson1 e-mail: dickson@imp.ac.at
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