Meiri, N., Laboratory of Adaptive Systems, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States
Ghelardini, C., Department of Pharmacology, University of Florence, Viale G.B. Morgagni 65, I-50134 Florence, Italy
Tesco, G., Laboratory of Adaptive Systems, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States
Galeotti, N., Department of Pharmacology, University of Florence, Viale G.B. Morgagni 65, I-50134 Florence, Italy
Dahl, D., Laboratory of Adaptive Systems, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States
Tomsic, D., Laboratory of Adaptive Systems, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States
Cavallaro, S., Laboratory of Adaptive Systems, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States
Quattrone, A., Institute of General Pathology, University of Florence, Viale G.B. Morgagni 50, I-50134 Florence, Italy
Capaccioli, S., Institute of General Pathology, University of Florence, Viale G.B. Morgagni 50, I-50134 Florence, Italy
Bartolini, A., Department of Pharmacology, University of Florence, Viale G.B. Morgagni 65, I-50134 Florence, Italy
Alkon, D.L., Laboratory of Adaptive Systems, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States
Ghelardini, C., Department of Pharmacology, University of Florence, Viale G.B. Morgagni 65, I-50134 Florence, Italy
Tesco, G., Laboratory of Adaptive Systems, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States
Galeotti, N., Department of Pharmacology, University of Florence, Viale G.B. Morgagni 65, I-50134 Florence, Italy
Dahl, D., Laboratory of Adaptive Systems, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States
Tomsic, D., Laboratory of Adaptive Systems, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States
Cavallaro, S., Laboratory of Adaptive Systems, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States
Quattrone, A., Institute of General Pathology, University of Florence, Viale G.B. Morgagni 50, I-50134 Florence, Italy
Capaccioli, S., Institute of General Pathology, University of Florence, Viale G.B. Morgagni 50, I-50134 Florence, Italy
Bartolini, A., Department of Pharmacology, University of Florence, Viale G.B. Morgagni 65, I-50134 Florence, Italy
Alkon, D.L., Laboratory of Adaptive Systems, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States
Long-term memory is thought to be subserved by functional remodeling of neuronal circuits. Changes in the weights of existing synapses in networks might depend on voltage-gated potassium currents. We therefore studied the physiological role of potassium channels in memory, concentrating on the Shaker-like Kv1.1, a late rectifying potassium channel that is highly localized within dendrites of hippocampal CA3 pyramidal and dentate gyrus granular cells. Repeated intracerebroventricular injection of antisense oligodeoxyribonucleotide to Kv1.1 reduces expression of its particular intracellular mRNA target, decreases late rectifying K+ current(s) in dentate granule cells, and impairs memory but not other motor or sensory behaviors, in two different learning paradigms, mouse passive avoidance and rat spatial memory. The latter, hippocampal-dependent memory loss occurred in the absence of long-term potentiation changes recorded both from the dentate gyrus or CA1. The specificity of the reversible antisense targeting of mRNA in adult animal brains may avoid irreversible developmental and genetic background effects that accompany transgenic 'knockouts'.
