Abstract
Bioluminescence imaging is a powerful tool for examining gene expression in living animals. Previously, we reported that exogenous DNA could be successfully delivered into neurons in the newly hatched chick brain using electroporation. Here, we show the in vivo bioluminescence imaging of c-fos promoter activity and its upregulation, which is associated with filial imprinting. The upregulation of c-fos gene expression correlated with both the strength of the chicks' approach activity to the training object and the acquisition of memory. The present technique should be a powerful tool for analyzing the time changes in neural activity of certain brain areas in real-time during memory formation, using brains of living animals.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Animals, Newborn
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Behavior, Animal
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Brain / cytology
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Brain / metabolism*
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Chickens
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Cytoskeletal Proteins / genetics
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Cytoskeletal Proteins / metabolism
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Early Growth Response Protein 1 / genetics
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Early Growth Response Protein 1 / metabolism
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Electroporation / methods
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Gene Expression / physiology*
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Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / physiology*
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Imprinting, Psychological / physiology
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Luminescent Proteins / genetics
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Luminescent Proteins / metabolism
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Neurons / metabolism
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / genetics
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / metabolism*
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Statistics as Topic
Substances
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Cytoskeletal Proteins
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Early Growth Response Protein 1
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Luminescent Proteins
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos