Nature: Significant progress! It is revealed that eIF2 alpha enhances long-term memory by stimulating protein synthesis in inhibitory neurons.

13, 2020 /--- In a new study, researchers from research institutions such as McGill University in Canada, the University of Montreal and the University of Haifa in Israel found that at least two different processes occurred in two different brain networks --- excitation and inhibitory networks--- during memory consolidation.
excitable neurons are involved in creating memory traces, while inhibitory neurons block background noise, allowing long-term learning to take place.
study was recently published in the journal Nature under the title "eIF2 alpha controls memory processing via excitatory and somatostatin neurons".
and co-authors are Dr. Nahum Sonenberg and Dr. Vijendra Sharma of McGill University and Dr. Kobi Rosenblum of the University of Haifa.
picture source: CC0 Public Domain.
the authors also found that each neuron system could be selectively manipulated to control long-term memory.
the study answers a long-standing question about which neurosypes are involved in memory consolidation and thus have the potential to provide new targets for the development of drugs to treat diseases involving memory process changes, such as Alzheimer's disease and autism.
to find out how short-term memory of neurons involved in memory consolidation (which lasts only a few hours) translates into long-term memory (which can last for many years)? For decades, it has been known that this process, called memory consolidation, requires the synthesis of new proteins in brain cells.
, it was not known which neuron subsypes were involved in the process.
to determine which neural networks are essential for memory consolidation, the authors used genetically modified mice to manipulate a particular molecular path path in a particular type of neuron: eIF2 alpha.
path has been shown to play a key role in controlling the formation of long-term memory and regulating protein synthesis in neurons.
, early studies have found that eIF2 alpha is essential for neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases.
"We found that stimulating protein synthesis in excitable neurons in the body through eIF2 alpha is sufficient to enhance memory formation and synhap modification, where synapses are places of communication between neurons," said Dr. Rosenblum, who says that both the excitable nervous system and the inhibitory nervous system play a role in memory consolidation.
However, co-author Dr Jean-Claude Lacaille, of the University of Montreal, said: 'We also found that stimulating a specific class of inhibitory neurons ---tra-growth inhibitor intermediate neurons --- through eIF2 alpha is also sufficient to enhance long-term memory by adjusting the plasticity of neuron connections."
Sharma added, "It is fascinating to be able to confirm that these new participants ---insuppressive neurons--- play an important role in memory consolidation.
, it was thought that the eIF2 alpha path path path is used to regulate memory through excitable neurons.
" Dr Sonenberg concluded, "These new findings identify protein synthesis in inhibitory neurons, especially growth inhibitors, as a new target for possible therapeutic interventions in diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and autism."
hope this will help design prevention and post-diagnosis treatments to help people with diseases involving memory impairment.
" (bioon.com) Reference: 1. Vijendra Sharma et al. eIF2 alpha controls memory digest via excitatory and somatostatin neurons. Nature, 2020, doi:10.1038/s41586-020-2805-8.2.Discovery of a new key player in long-term memory.