Differential needs of zinc in the CA3 area of dorsal hippocampus for the consolidation of contextual fear and spatial memories

One peculiarity of the hippocampal CA3 mossy fiber terminals is the co-release of zinc and glutamate upon synaptic transmission. How these two players act on hippocampal-dependent memories is still unclear. To decipher their respective involvement in memory consolidation, a pharmacological approach was chosen. Using two hippocampal-dependent behavioral paradigms (water maze and contextual fear conditioning) we now report that glutamate at CA3 synapses is necessary and sufficient for the spatial learning consolidation process, whereas glutamate and zinc released by mossy fibers are both mandatory and exert cumulative effects on contextual fear consolidation, a form of learning with a strong emotional component.