Long term memory is maintained by prion like proteins in the brain

Science and technology daily, Beijing, July 6 (reporter Chang Lijun) recently, researchers from the medical center of Columbia University (CUMC) found further evidence that there is a system in the brain that can maintain long-term memory, and a kind of prion protein is the key   According to physicist's organization network recently, research team led by Eric Kandel, a professor of brain science at CUMC, recently published four papers in the journal Neuron and cell report, proving that a normal version of prion like protein cpeb3 is very important in maintaining long-term memory of mice, which may be the same for other mammals   When long-term memory is formed, new connections between neurons are established and maintained to store memory If the connection is broken, the memory will disappear in a few days People have been looking for molecules to maintain long-term memory New research shows that these memory molecules are normal prions, which play their own functions in cells without causing diseases   Researchers initially identified normal prions in sea rabbits and found that they have the function of maintaining memory storage Recently, they found a similar protein in mice, called cpeb3 In one experiment, they asked mice to repeatedly recognize paths in a maze to form long-term memory Two weeks after memory establishment, they inactivated their cpeb3 gene, and their memory disappeared Later studies found that the function of cpeb3 in neurons maintained long-term memory   "There are two forms of functional prions, one that dissolves, the other that condenses, just like those that cause disease," Kandel said In these synapses, soluble prions are converted into cohesive proteins, which open up the protein synthesis necessary to maintain memory "   Because of this cohesion, long-term memory can be maintained Kandel said that prions are constantly self renewing, absorbing new soluble proteins into cohesive proteins "This continuity is critical, and that's why you can remember something for a long time, like your first love for the rest of your life." There are similar proteins in humans, indicating that the same mechanism exists in the human brain, but further tests are needed.