Hippocampal region-specific regulation of NF-κB may contribute to learning-associated synaptic reorganisation

Activity of the transcription factor NF-κB is required for memory formation, but the identity and function of the genes it may regulate in this context remain obscure. Here, we comprehensively characterise NF-κB throughout the rat hippocampus following passive avoidance training and report significant subregion-specific increased activity across the dorsoventral axis 3 h post-learning. Moreover, putative NF-κB binding motifs predominated in structural genes previously shown to regulate 3 h following avoidance conditioning, the protein products of which may be involved in the subsequent synaptic remodelling required for consolidation. Finally, we assessed the influence of NF-κB-mediated transcription on neuritic structure and report that inhibition of NF-κB significantly decreases growth and branching of primary hippocampal neurons. These results suggest that NF-κB activity following hippocampal learning may contribute to consolidation-associated synaptic reorganisation.