In the right hemisphere of a mouse brain stained with DAPI (blue), some neurons in the insular cortex express GFP-CREB (green).YOSHITAKE SANO
When a nasty taste makes the stomach turn, neurons in the brain’s insular cortex fire up to form a memory of the foul flavor. But only a subset of cells are involved in storing that memory. In mice learning to dislike saltwater, new memories favor neurons with high levels of the cyclic-AMP-response-element-binding protein (CREB), according to a study published today (November 13) in Current Biology.
A team of researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) examined the development of a conditioned taste aversion response in mice that overexpressed CREB in a subset of insular cortex neurons. Precise inactivation of the CREB-expressing neurons revealed that these cells were required for the mice to remember the bad-taste experience. CREB, which activates the transcription of genes ...
