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Abstract
Taste Aversion (TA) is a conditioned learning response involving anassociation between a taste and malaise, resulting in aversion to the taste. TA may be applied to the study of alcoholism. The TA-prone (TAP) and TA-resistant (TAR) rat strains were selectively bred based on TA acquisition. In this study, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis was utilized to analyze the differences in protein expression in the hippocampus, amygdala, and ventral striatum of TAP and TAR rats. M2 pyruvate kinase and myelin basic protein were found at lower levels in TAR rats compared to their TAP controls. Annexin A6, cytokeratin 8, dynamin I, glial fibrillary acidic protein-, and sirtuin 2 were found at higher levels in TAR rats compared to TAP rats. Several of these proteins are affected by oxidation, or are involved in metabolism, calcium homeostasis, or cytoskeletal structures and functions. These findings provide useful focal points for future research into TA.