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A Putative Biochemical Engram of Long-Term Memory
Liying Li1, Consuelo Perez Sanchez1, Brian D Slaughter2
1Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 East 50(th) Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
Current Biology : CB
|November 8, 2016
Summary
The RNA-binding protein Orb2 aggregates during memory formation, acting as a molecular signature for memory. This aggregation is facilitated by the chaperone JJJ2, providing a physical basis for enduring yet dynamic memory.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Memory persistence is a key question in neuroscience.
- Experience-dependent aggregation of the CPEB/Orb2 protein is a proposed mechanism for memory maintenance.
- The exact role of Orb2 in memory encoding and recall is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of Orb2 protein in memory formation and maintenance.
- To identify factors that regulate Orb2 aggregation.
- To visualize and characterize Orb2 aggregates as a potential physical substrate of memory.
Main Methods:
- Utilized tools for rapid and reversible inactivation of Orb2 in neurons.
- Conducted a screen to identify Orb2-interacting proteins.
- Developed methods to visualize training-dependent Orb2 aggregation in vivo.
Main Results:
- Orb2 activity is essential for both memory encoding and recall.
- Identified JJJ2, a DNA-J family chaperone, that promotes Orb2 aggregation.
- Ectopic expression of JJJ2 enhances long-term memory capacity.
- Visualized aggregated Orb2 in specific neurons, correlating with memory strength.
Conclusions:
- Self-sustaining Orb2 aggregates serve as a physical substrate for memory.
- Orb2 aggregation provides a molecular basis for the enduring yet dynamic nature of memory.
- JJJ2 facilitates memory formation by promoting Orb2 aggregation.
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