Blockade of intracellular Zn2+ signaling in the basolateral amygdala affects object recognition memory via attenuation of dentate gyrus LTP.

Hippocampus-dependent memory is modulated by the amygdala. However, it is unknown whether intracellular Zn2+ signaling in the amygdala is involved in hippocampus-dependent memory. On the basis of the evidence that intracellular Zn2+ signaling in dentate granule cells (DGC) is necessary for object recognition memory via LTP at medial perforant pathway (PP)-DGC synapses, the present study examined whether intracellular Zn2+ signaling in the amygdala influences object recognition memory via modulation of LTP at medial PP-DGC synapses. When ZnAF-2DA (100 μM, 2 μl) was injected into the basolateral amygdala (BLA), intracellular ZnAF-2 locally chelated intracellular Zn2+ in the amygdala. Recognition memory was affected when training of object recognition test was performed 20 min after ZnAF-2DA injection into the BLA. Twenty minutes after injection of ZnAF-2DA into the BLA, LTP induction at medial PP-DGC synapses was attenuated, while LTP induction at PP-BLA synapses was potentiated and LTP induction at BLA-DGC synapses was attenuated. These results suggest that intracellular Zn2+ signaling in the BLA is involved in BLA-associated LTP and modulates LTP at medial PP-DGC synapses, followed by modulation of object recognition memory.