Learning and Memory Brake Found

Confirming calcium signaling as a critical component of quiescent plasticity in CA2, Evans next investigated calcium influx in small neuronal compartments called dendritic spines during LTP in CA2 neurons from mice containing and lacking RGS14. Calcium transients in spines from mice containing RGS14 were significantly smaller than those in mice lacking RGS14, indicating that RGS14 plays an important role in adjusting calcium levels in CA2 neurons. Furthermore, the acute overexpression of RGS14 in CA2 neurons lacking the protein once again abolished plasticity and significantly reduced plasticity when expressed in the CA1 region. Increasing extracellular calcium levels reversed the abolition of plasticity, reinforcing the notion that RGS14 exerts its plasticity restricting properties through the regulation of calcium. “RGS14 seems to be special, acting as a molecular factor that puts the brakes on plasticity when it’s present, enabling specialized types of memory encoding. Establishing a greater understanding of the molecular makeup conferring subtle differences between brain regions, like those seen in CA1 and CA2, will allow us to better understand the mechanisms that underlie learning and memory,” notes Dr. Evans. https://www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/news/protein-acts-as-brake-on-learning-and-memory-304309?utm_campaign=Newsletter_TN_BreakingScienceNews&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=63190212&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8R5PFV48QYwvfrM4zYMQsaRNLYZDJWafEhZIYFQbU1x_YH6tkEMWph4GlRX83i1_sxR4SxY7QvhqA-cH5yw-Fxl-hbvQ&_hsmi=63190212