[Protein metabolism by rat brain synaptosomes during learning]

The synthesis and degradation of rat brain synaptosomal proteins were studied in three groups of animals: trained the behaviour pattern in the maze, "pseudo-trained" and control. These processes were assessed from protein specific radioactivity after 1, 3 days and after 1, 3, 6 and 9 weeks following intraventricular injection of 14C-lysine. The experiments showed three fractions differing in overall values of half-life (T50). An increase in specific radioactivity of brain proteins of trained animals was revealed as compared to that in "pseudo-trained" and control rats. T50 was recorded to rise for slow-metabolizing fractions of synaptosomal proteins of trained rats. Participation of synaptosomal proteins in the mechanisms of long-term memory is discussed.