Fatty-acid binding proteins modulate sleep and enhance long-term memory consolidation in Drosophila

PLoS One. 2011 Jan 27;6(1):e15890. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0015890.

Abstract

Sleep is thought to be important for memory consolidation, since sleep deprivation has been shown to interfere with memory processing. However, the effects of augmenting sleep on memory formation are not well known, and testing the role of sleep in memory enhancement has been limited to pharmacological and behavioral approaches. Here we test the effect of overexpressing the brain-type fatty acid binding protein (Fabp7) on sleep and long-term memory (LTM) formation in Drosophila melanogaster. Transgenic flies carrying the murine Fabp7 or the Drosophila homologue dFabp had reduced baseline sleep but normal LTM, while Fabp induction produced increases in both net sleep and LTM. We also define a post-training consolidation "window" that is sufficient for the observed Fabp-mediated memory enhancement. Since Fabp overexpression increases consolidated daytime sleep bouts, these data support a role for longer naps in improving memory and provide a novel role for lipid-binding proteins in regulating memory consolidation concurrently with changes in behavioral state.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Genetically Modified
  • Drosophila Proteins / physiology
  • Drosophila melanogaster / physiology*
  • Fatty Acid-Binding Protein 7
  • Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins / chemistry
  • Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins / physiology*
  • Memory, Long-Term*
  • Mice
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / chemistry
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / physiology*
  • Sleep*

Substances

  • Drosophila Proteins
  • Fabp7 protein, mouse
  • Fatty Acid-Binding Protein 7
  • Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins