Topic: PKMζ

How can short-lived molecules selectively maintain potentiation of synapses to sustain long-term potentiation (late-LTP) and long-term memory? One possibility, suggested by Francis Crick (Nature, 1984), is that continual interaction between synaptic molecules maintains the strengthening of activated synapses in the face of molecular turnover. Here, we tested the hypothesis that continual interaction between KIBRA, a postsynaptic scaffolding protein genetically linked to human memory performance, with the autonomously active, atypical PKC isoform PKMζ, maintains late-LTP and long-term memory. U

Sleep is essential for memory formation and consolidation, and sleep loss is associated with cognitive decline. The CA2 subregion of the hippocampus is involved in social memory and plays a critical role in altering brain activity and memory performance. Despite the crucial role of hippocampal CA2 in memory, how sleep influences social memory remains relatively unexplored. Our aim was to investigate whether and how sleep loss influences the CA2 region in terms of synaptic plasticity and social memory in mice. We conducted field electrophysiology, Western blot analysis, and behavioral studies.