A synthetic neural cell adhesion molecule mimetic peptide promotes synaptogenesis, enhances presynaptic function, and facilitates memory consolidation

Karine Cambon; Stine M Hansen; Cesar Venero; A Isabel Herrero; Galina Skibo; Vladimir Berezin; Elisabeth Bock; Carmen Sandi

doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0436-04.2004

A synthetic neural cell adhesion molecule mimetic peptide promotes synaptogenesis, enhances presynaptic function, and facilitates memory consolidation

J Neurosci. 2004 Apr 28;24(17):4197-204. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0436-04.2004.

Authors

Karine Cambon¹, Stine M Hansen, Cesar Venero, A Isabel Herrero, Galina Skibo, Vladimir Berezin, Elisabeth Bock, Carmen Sandi

Affiliation

¹ Psychobiology Department, Universidad Nacional de Educacion a Distancia, Ciudad Universitaria Sin Numero, 28040 Madrid, Spain.

Abstract

The neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) plays a critical role in development and plasticity of the nervous system and is involved in the mechanisms of learning and memory. Here, we show that intracerebroventricular administration of the FG loop (FGL), a synthetic 15 amino acid peptide corresponding to the binding site of NCAM for the fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1), immediately after training rats in fear conditioning or water maze learning, induced a long-lasting improvement of memory. In primary cultures of hippocampal neurons, FGL enhanced the presynaptic function through activation of FGFR1 and promoted synapse formation. These results provide the first evidence for a memory-facilitating effect resulting from a treatment that mimics NCAM function. They suggest that increased efficacy of synaptic transmission and formation of new synapses probably mediate the cognition-enhancing properties displayed by the peptide.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Amino Acid Sequence
Animals
Cells, Cultured
Conditioning, Classical / drug effects
Emotions / drug effects
Injections, Intraventricular
Male
Maze Learning / drug effects
Memory / drug effects*
Memory / physiology
Molecular Mimicry / physiology*
Molecular Sequence Data
Motor Activity / drug effects
Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules / agonists*
Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules / chemistry
Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules / pharmacology*
Neurons / drug effects
Neurons / physiology
Peptides / chemistry
Peptides / pharmacology*
Presynaptic Terminals / drug effects
Presynaptic Terminals / physiology
Pyrroles / pharmacology
Rats
Rats, Wistar
Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor / drug effects
Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor / metabolism
Synapses / drug effects*
Synapses / physiology
Synaptic Transmission / drug effects*
Synaptic Transmission / physiology

Substances

NCAM protein (681-695), human
Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules
Peptides
Pyrroles
Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor
SU 5402