Circadian Time-Place Learning in Mice Depends on Cry Genes

摘要: Summary Endogenous biological clocks allow organisms to anticipate daily environmental cycles [1–3]. The ability achieve time-place associations is key the survival and reproductive success of animals. link location a stimulus (usually food) with time day has been coined learning [4–11], but its circadian nature was only shown in honeybees [1] birds [5–7]. So far, an unambiguous time-place-learning paradigm for mammals lacking. We studied whether expression clock gene Cryptochrome ( Cry ), crucial timing, prerequisite learning. Time-place mice achieved by developing novel which food reward at specific times counterbalanced penalty receiving mild footshock. Mice lacking core genes Cry1 Cry2 double knockout mice; −/− ) learned avoid unpleasant sensory experiences (mild footshock) could locate spatial task (place preference). These failed, however, learn associations. This memory deficit shows that -gene dependent timing system underlies utilization information. results reveal new functional role mammalian system.