Mileusnic, Radmila; Lancashire, Christine L. and Rose, Steven P.R.
(2005).
Recalling an aversive experience by day-old chicks is not dependent on somatic protein synthesis.
Learning and Memory, 12(6),
pp. 615–619.
Abstract
Long-term memory is dependent on protein synthesis and inhibiting such synthesis following training results in amnesia for the task. Proteins synthesised during training must be transported to the synapse, and disrupting microtubules with colchicine and hence blocking transport results in transient amnesia. Reactivating memory for a previously learned avoidance triggers a biochemical cascade analogous to that following the initial training, and renders the memory labile once more to protein synthesis inhibitors. However, the reminder-induced cascade differs in certain key features from that following training. Here we show that, by contrast with initial consolidation following training, memory following a reminder is not impaired by colchicine. We conclude that recall after a reminder does not require synaptic access to somatically synthesised proteins. Our results support the hypothesis that a reminder may instead engage local protein synthesis at the synapse, rather than in the soma.
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