EUREKALERT, UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGEFor decades, researchers have known that forming memories requires that the expression and translation of some genes be upregulated in the brain. Unexpectedly, the mouse hippocampus also has an extensive program of genetic downregulation that is required for memory to function properly, according to a paper published today (October 1) in Science.
“This is a breakthrough, because we are now introducing new pathways that seem to be important in memory formation,” said study coauthor V. Narry Kim, who studies RNA biology at the Institute for Basic Science and Seoul National University in Korea. “By studying these pathways, we will be able to have a much better clue in understanding memory formation and the molecular mechanisms behind it.”
“It provides a fresh concept,” said Mauro Costa-Mattioli, who studies learning and memory at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, and was not involved in the study. “Essentially, not only do you need translation stimulation, but you also need translational repression.”
Prior studies on memory were designed to detect proteins that must be upregulated for memories to form. “A ...
