It has been reported that consolidation of motor skill, a type of non-declarative memories, requires
protein synthesis, as hippocampus-dependent declarative memory does. However, little is known about the importance of
protein synthesis in maintenance and especially post-retrieval reconsolidation of acrobatic motor skill. Here, we show that
protein synthesis is essential not only for the consolidation but also for the maintenance and reconsolidation of a rotarod-running skill. Intra-ventricle infusion of the
protein synthesis inhibitor anisomycin 0 h but not 2 h post-training caused a severe deficit in the acquisition of the rotarod-running skill.
Protein synthesis inhibition (PSI) also caused a deficit in the maintenance of the rotarod-running skill, as well-trained rats demonstrated a deficit in the rotarod-running performance upon treatment with
anisomycin. Similarly, PSI impaired the post-retrieval reconsolidation of the rotarod-running skill: well-trained rats treated with
anisomycin 0 h but not 0.5, 2 and 4 h after the task performance exhibited
amnesia for the running skill later on. Interestingly, rats treated with
anisomycin 6 and 12 h post-retrieval exhibited
amnesia for the running skill. Thus,
protein synthesis is essential not only for the consolidation but also for the maintenance and post-retrieval reconsolidation of rotarod-running acrobatic motor skill.