STAT1是一個轉錄因子，在細胞生理功能中是非常重要的訊息傳遞者，在免疫系統具有抗病毒的角色，但是目前為止對於STAT1在中樞神經系統所扮演的角色仍不清楚。爲證實STAT1的表現與空間記憶的形成有關聯，我們將大白鼠分成兩組，一組為有訓練的組別，另一組則為無訓練的組別分別進行水迷津試驗，試驗完畢後取出大鼠的海馬迴CA1區域組織進行即時定量聚合酶連鎖反應與西方墨點法分析。結果顯示，經過水迷津訓練的刺激下，STAT1 mRNA與蛋白質分別減少約34 %及40 %，而STAT2 mRNA及蛋白質的表現則不受空間學習的影響。爲了進ㄧ步探討STAT1在空間學習記憶過程中所扮演的角色，實驗利用STAT1 siRNA轉染至海馬迴CA1區域抑制STAT1的表現，發現降低STAT1表現會促進大白鼠在水迷津試驗的學習能力，實驗同時也轉染STAT2 siRNA至CA1區域，結果顯示STAT2不參與大白鼠空間記憶的形成。本實驗室先前發現降低laminin β1表現量會促進大白鼠的空間學習記憶 (unpublished observation, 附錄二)，此外laminin β1基因啟動子上具有STAT1結合序列：interferon-γ activated site (GAS)。因此，實驗利用PC12細胞進行laminin β1報導基因分析，結果顯示STAT1會促進 laminin β1啟動子的轉錄活性。而爲了進一步探討在STAT1影響空間學習與記憶歷程中與laminin β1的關聯性，實驗利用STAT1 siRNA抑制大白鼠海馬迴CA1區STAT1的表現並促進空間學習與記憶的同時，發現laminin β1 mRNA及蛋白質表現量都受到STAT siRNA的抑制，而轉染野生型STAT1-Flag質體則會增加laminin β1 mRNA及蛋白質的表現量，顯示STAT1正向調控laminin β1的表現。本篇論文提出海馬迴CA1區域的STAT1參與動物空間學習與記憶的形成，其中可能與STAT1正向調控laminin β1的表現有關。 / STAT1 is a signal transducer and transcription factor in the cell. Several reports have indicated that STAT1 plays a critical role in immune response against virus infection in animals. However, the role of STAT1 in the central nervous system is still unclear. In the present study, we aimed to examine the role of STAT1 involved in spatial memory formation in rat and the possible downstream gene that STAT1 regulates. Rats were randomly divided into the trained group and the non-trained group. Animals were subjected to water maze learning according to the previous behavioral paradigm. Their hippocampus CA1 tissues were dissected out for STAT1 mRNA level and protein level determination. Results indicated that spatial training markedly decreased STAT1 mRNA level and protein level in the CA1 area, but this change was not found for STAT2 mRNA and protein expression. To further confirm the role of STAT1 involved in spatial learning and memory, animals were transfected with STAT1 siRNA in the CA1 area. Results showed that STAT1 siRNA transfection significantly facilitated water maze performance, whereas their water maze performance under STAT2 siRNA transfection was not altered. Previous studies from our laboratory have demonstrated that laminin β1 impairs spatial memory formation in rat (unpublished observation). In addition, promoter analysis indicates that the laminin β1 promoter region contains two GAS elements, which is the STAT1/STAT1 and STAT1/STAT3 binding site. Results from luciferase reporter assay revealed that transfection of STAT1 siRNA decreased laminin β1 promoter activity, whereas transfection of STAT1 wild-type plasmid increased laminin β1 promoter activity. To further study the relationship between STAT1 and laminin β1 in spatial memory formation, we used STAT1 siRNA to knockdown STAT1 expression and these animals were subjected to spatial training. We then determined their laminin β1 expression. Results showed that the laminin β1 mRNA level and protein level were both significantly decreased by STAT1 siRNA transfection. Besides, STAT1 wild-type plasmid transfection increased laminin β1 mRNA level and protein level in the CA1 area associated with spatial memory impairment. These results together suggest that STAT1 negatively regulates spatial memory formation. Further, STAT1 may impair spatial memory formation through increased laminin β1 expression.