MicroRNAs are endogenous, noncoding RNAs crucial for the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. Their role in spatial memory formation, however, is poorly explored. In this study, we analyzed learning-induced microRNA expression in the hippocampus and in the ventral striatum. Among miRNAs specifically downregulated by spatial training, we focused on the hippocampus-specific miR-324-5p and the ventral striatum-specific miR-24. In vivo overexpression of the two miRNAs demonstrated that miR-324-5p is able to impair memory if administered in the hippocampus but not in the ventral striatum, while the opposite is true for miR-24. Overall, these findings demonstrate a causal relationship between miRNA expression changes and spatial memory formation. Furthermore, they provide support for a regional dissociation in the post-transcriptional processes underlying spatial memory in the two brain structures analyzed.
CITATION STYLE
Capitano, F., Camon, J., Ferretti, V., Licursi, V., De Vito, F., Rinaldi, A., … Mele, A. (2016). microRNAs Modulate Spatial Memory in the Hippocampus and in the Ventral Striatum in a Region-Specific Manner. Molecular Neurobiology, 53(7), 4618–4630. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12035-015-9398-5
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