The 70kDa heat shock protein family and learning

This chapter examines data supporting the view that heat shock proteins members of the 70kDa family (HSP70) interfere with the plastic mechanisms underlying learning and memory. In the first part, we present evidence that rodents trained in tasks taxing specific forms of learning show increased levels of inducible (hsp72) or constitutive (hsc70) HSP in the brain regions mediating these learning systems. In the second part, we describe experiments in which exposure to a heat shock (also referred to as heat shock preconditioning) prevents the disruptive effect of amnestic agents on learning performance and synaptic plasticity, and interferes with the learning performance in different species. In the third part, we review data aimed at disentangling specific from non-specific learning effects of increased expression of HSP70 in the brain. We conclude that the experimental conditions in which HSP70 are expressed and the loci where this expression takes place suggest a role for these proteins in synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory.