Neutral Sphingomyelinase is an Affective Valence-Dependent Regulator of Learning and Memory

Kalinichenko L, Abdel-Hafiz L, Wang AL, Mühle C, Rösel N, Schumacher F, Kleuser B, Smaga I, Frankowska M, Filip M, Schaller G, Richter-Schmidinger T, Lenz B, Gulbins E, Kornhuber J, Oliveira AW, Barros M, Huston JP, Müller CP (2021)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2021

Journal

Cerebral Cortex Oxford University Press

Book Volume: 31

Pages Range: 1316-1333

Journal Issue: 2

DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa298

Abstract

Sphingolipids and enzymes of the sphingolipid rheostat determine synaptic appearance and signaling in the brain, but sphingolipid contribution to normal behavioral plasticity is little understood. Here we asked how the sphingolipid rheostat contributes to learning and memory of various dimensions. We investigated the role of these lipids in the mechanisms of two different types of memory, such as appetitively and aversively motivated memory, which are considered to be mediated by different neural mechanisms. We found an association between superior performance in short- A nd long-term appetitively motivated learning and regionally enhanced neutral sphingomyelinase (NSM) activity. An opposite interaction was observed in an aversively motivated task. A valence-dissociating role of NSM in learning was confirmed in mice with genetically reduced NSM activity. This role may be mediated by the NSM control of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor subunit expression. In a translational approach, we confirmed a positive association of serum NSM activity with long-term appetitively motivated memory in nonhuman primates and in healthy humans. Altogether, these data suggest a new sphingolipid mechanism of de-novo learning and memory, which is based on NSM activity.

Authors with CRIS profile

Liubov Kalinichenko Professur für Suchtmedizin Christiane Mühle Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Nadine Rösel Professur für Suchtmedizin Gerd Schaller Lehrstuhl für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie Bernd Lenz Medizinische Fakultät Johannes Kornhuber Lehrstuhl für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie Peter Christian Müller Professur für Suchtmedizin

Involved external institutions

Universidade de Brasília BR Brazil (BR) Polska Akademia Nauk (PAN) / Polish Academy of Sciences PL Poland (PL) Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf DE Germany (DE) Universität Potsdam DE Germany (DE) Universität Duisburg-Essen (UDE) DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Kalinichenko, L., Abdel-Hafiz, L., Wang, A.L., Mühle, C., Rösel, N., Schumacher, F.,... Müller, C.P. (2021). Neutral Sphingomyelinase is an Affective Valence-Dependent Regulator of Learning and Memory. Cerebral Cortex, 31(2), 1316-1333. https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhaa298

MLA:

Kalinichenko, Liubov, et al. "Neutral Sphingomyelinase is an Affective Valence-Dependent Regulator of Learning and Memory." Cerebral Cortex 31.2 (2021): 1316-1333.

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