CLUSTERED PROTOCADHERIN DIVERSITY MODULATES ENGRAM FORMATION AND MEMORY FUNCTION

Learned information is translated into the brain as a subset of plastic changes that affects engram cells. These cells, whose activity is sufficient and necessary for the recall of the memory, modify their connections across brain regions in a way that sustains the physical storage of information. Given the relevance of connections between engram cells, we investigate how transsynaptic adhesion molecules regulate engram function. We focused on assessing the role of clustered protocadherins (cPcdhs), a superfamily of cell surface proteins that act as a barcode system for cell to cell recognition and synapse specification. Combining engram labelling technology with RNA detection tools, we investigated how experienced are translated into cPcdh expression changes in the hippocampus. We further explored how manipulation of cPcdh expression influences behaviour and engram formation by combining engram labelling with loss of function and mutant models. Altogether, our research supports that cPcdhs act as a molecular mechanism to determine memory formation and biology and influence engram cell connectivity and function.