Recognition memory-induced gene expression in the perirhinal cortex: a transcriptomics analysis.

It is possible to identify the key genes and pathways involved in specific physiological processes using transcriptome analyses. However, these powerful new deep sequencing-based methods have rarely been applied to studies of memory function. We used the bow-tie maze to train rats by exposing them to highly familiar objects or to novel objects. Total RNA sequencing was then used to compare the transcriptome of the perirhinal cortices of naïve control rats and rats exposed to novel and familiar stimuli. Differentially expressed genes were identified between group Novel and group Familiar rats and these included genes coding for transcription factors and extracellular matrix-related proteins. Moreover, differences in alternative splicing were also detected between the two groups. To conclude, this study shows that RNA sequencing can be used as a tool to identify differences in gene expression in behaving animals undergoing the same task but encountering different exposures.借助转录组分析（transcriptome analysis），可识别特定生理过程中涉及的关键基因与信号通路。然而，这类基于深度测序（deep sequencing）的高效新兴技术，却极少应用于记忆功能相关研究。本研究通过向大鼠暴露高度熟悉的物体或全新物体，借助蝴蝶结迷宫（bow-tie maze）对其完成训练；随后通过总RNA测序（total RNA sequencing），对比空白对照组大鼠与暴露于全新、熟悉刺激物的大鼠的嗅周皮层（perirhinal cortex）转录组。研究人员在全新物体组与熟悉物体组大鼠间鉴定出了差异表达基因（differentially expressed genes），其中包含编码转录因子（transcription factor）与细胞外基质相关蛋白的基因；此外，两组间还检测到了可变剪接（alternative splicing）差异。综上，本研究证明RNA测序可作为有效工具，用于识别执行相同任务但遭遇不同刺激暴露的行为学动物的基因表达差异。