Brain Proteome Changes Induced by Olfactory Learning in <i>Drosophila</i>

For more than 30 years, the study
of learning and memory in Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) has used an olfactory
learning paradigm and has resulted in the discovery of many genes
involved in memory formation. By varying learning programs, the creation
of different memory types can be achieved, from short-term memory
formation to long-term. Previous studies in the fruit fly used gene
mutation methods to identify genes involved in memory formation. Presumably,
memory creation involves a combination of genes, pathways, and neural
circuits. To examine memory formation at the protein level, a quantitative
proteomic analysis was performed using olfactory learning and 15N-labeled fruit flies. Differences were observed in protein
expression and relevant pathways between different learning programs.
Our data showed major protein expression changes occurred between
short-term memory (STM) and long-lasting memory, and only minor changes
were found between long-term memory (LTM) and anesthesia-resistant
memory (ARM).