Cited by 126Memory and Neural MechanismsNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchRNA Research and Splicing

Stress-induced alternative splicing of acetylcholinesterase results in enhanced fear memory and long-term potentiation

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Abstract

Stress insults intensify fear memory; however, the mechanism(s) facilitating this physiological response is still unclear. Here, we report the molecular, neurophysiological and behavioral findings attributing much of this effect to alternative splicing of the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) gene in hippocampal neurons. As a case study, we explored immobilization-stressed mice with intensified fear memory and enhanced long-term potentiation (LTP), in which alternative splicing was found to induce overproduction of neuronal 'readthrough' AChE-R (AChE-R). Selective downregulation of AChE-R mRNA and protein by antisense oligonucleotides abolished the stress-associated increase in AChE-R, the elevation of contextual fear and LTP in the hippocampal CA1 region. Reciprocally, we intrahippocampally injected a synthetic peptide representing the C-terminal sequence unique to AChE-R. The injected peptide, which has been earlier found to exhibit no enzymatic activity, was incorporated into cortical, hippocampal and basal nuclei neurons by endocytosis and retrograde transport and enhanced contextual fear. Compatible with this hypothesis, inherited AChE-R overexpression in transgenic mice resulted in perikaryal clusters enriched with PKCbetaII, accompanied by PKC-augmented LTP enhancement. Our findings demonstrate a primary role for stress-induced alternative splicing of the AChE gene to elevated contextual fear and synaptic plasticity, and attribute to the AChE-R splice variant a major role in…

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Crossref · 10.1038/sj.mp.4001446

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  • The ability of ACh to induce synaptic plasticity through actions on pre- and post-synaptic nAChRs and mAChRs is likely to modulate learning and memory, including memory of stressful events.

    “The ability of ACh to induce synaptic plasticity through actions on pre- and post-synaptic nAChRs and mAChRs is likely to modulate learning and memory, including memory of stressful events (Nijholt et al., 2004)”
  • Stress induces alternative splicing of the AChE mRNA in the hippocampus leading to altered ACh signaling in this structure.

    “Stress also induces alternative splicing of the AChE mRNA in the hippocampus leading to altered ACh signaling in this structure (Nijholt et al., 2004).”

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Authors
Nijholt, I., Farchi, N., Kye, M., Sklan, E. H., Shoham, S., Verbeure, B., Owen, D., Hochner, B., Spiess, J., Soreq, H., & Blank, T.
Affiliations
  • Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine (DE)
  • Hebrew University of Jerusalem (IL)
  • Herzog Hospital (IL)
  • MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (GB)
Corresponding author
Blank, T
Venue
Molecular Psychiatry
Published
2003-10-28
Volume
9
Issue
2
Pages
174-183
ISSN
  • 1359-4184 (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-5578
OpenAlex
W2165828523
Cited by
126
References
43
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 10
FWCI
4.20
Type
journal article
Language
en
Locations
  • Molecular Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (submittedVersion)
  • GoeScholar The Publication Server of the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen (Georg-August-Universität Göttingen) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
  • Medical Research and Materiel Command
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › RNA Research and Splicing
Keywords
acetylcholinesterase, alternative splicing, stress, fear memory, long-term potentiation, hippocampus, CA1, antisense oligonucleotides, contextual fear, PKCβII, synaptic plasticity, restraint stress, transgenic mice
MeSH terms
Acetylcholinesterase, Animals, Fear, Hippocampus, Memory, Neuronal Plasticity, Protein Kinase C, RNA, Messenger, Stress, Physiological, Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic, Alternative Splicing, Long-Term Potentiation, Mice, Protein Kinase C beta

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