Memory Erasure Experiments Indicate a Critical Role of CaMKII in Memory Storage

Overview

Journal Neuron

Publisher Cell Press

Specialty Neurology

Date 2017 Sep 29

PMID 28957669

Citations 51

Authors

Tom Rossetti

Somdeb Banerjee

Chris Kim

Megan Leubner

Casey Lamar

Pooja Gupta

Bomsol Lee

Rachael Neve

John Lisman

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The abundant synaptic protein CaMKII is necessary for long-term potentiation (LTP) and memory. However, whether CaMKII is required only during initial processes or whether it also mediates memory storage remains unclear. The most direct test of a storage role is the erasure test. In this test, a putative memory molecule is inhibited after learning. The key prediction is that this should produce persistent memory erasure even after the inhibitory agent is removed. We conducted this test using transient viral (HSV) expression of dominant-negative CaMKII-alpha (K42M) in the hippocampus. This produced persistent erasure of conditioned place avoidance. As an additional test, we found that expression of activated CaMKII (T286D/T305A/T306A) impaired place avoidance, a result not expected if a process other than CaMKII stores memory. Our behavioral results, taken together with prior experiments on LTP, strongly support a critical role of CaMKII in LTP maintenance and memory storage.

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