Dissociation between genes activated in long-term potentiation and in spatial learning in the rat

We have compared changes in mRNA of three genes, zif268, raf B, and syntaxin lB, following the unilateral induction of longterm potentiation (LTP) in rats previously trained in a water maze, and in behaviourally naive animals. mRNA of all three genes was enhanced in the potentiated dentate gyrus of naive animals 3 h after the induction of LTP. Training did not affect expression of mRNA for zif268 or forsyntaxin 1B. Expression of raf B was enhanced by training, and in trained animals the LTP-associated increase in expression of raf B was occluded. These results suggest that LTP and spatial training engage a common pathway utilizing an increase in mRNA for raf B, and demonstrate a dissociation between LTP and spatial learning with respect to expression of zif268 and syntaxin 1B.