Koppen JR, Stuebing SS, Winter SS, Cheatwood JL, Wallace DG (2012) Infusion of GAT1-Saporin into the medial septum spares mnemonic function and impairs self-movement cue processing. Neuroscience 2012 Abstracts 394.25. Society for Neuroscience, New Orleans, LA.
Summary: Spatial orientation depends on multiple neural systems processing environmental and self-movement cues. Previous research has demonstrated a relationship between cholinergic function in the medial septum and processing of self-movement cues. The medial septum also sends GABAergic projections to the hippocampus that synapse on interneurons, thereby producing a strong dis-inhibitory effect on hippocampal pyramidal neurons. Initial studies using non-selective lesion techniques have supported the involvement of this system in spatial orientation; however, the development of an immunotoxin (i.e., GAT1-Saporin) that selectively targets GABAergic neurons, allows for a novel technique in which to study this relationship. The current study examined the effect of infusing GAT1-Saporin or saline into the medial septum on performance during multiple spatial tasks. Environmental and self-movement cue processing was evaluated using the food hoarding paradigm, whereas mnemonic function was evaluated using several water maze tasks. Although GAT1-Saporin spared performance on water maze tasks, impaired performance was observed when rats were restricted to using self-movement cues (i.e., testing under dark conditions) during food hoarding. The current study adds to the growing literature that supports a role for components of the septohippocampal system in self-movement cue processing during spatial navigation.
Related Products: GAT1-SAP (Cat. #IT-32)