Enhancement of Consolidated Long-Term Memory by Overexpression of Protein Kinase M£a in the Neocortex.

Memories are more easily disrupted than improved. Many agents can impair memories during encoding and consolidation. In contrast, the choices of potential memory enhancers are so far rather modest. Moreover, the effect of the latter appears to be limited to enhancing new memories during encoding and the initial period of cellular consolidation, which can last from a few minutes to hours after learning. Here, Shema and colleagues report that overexpression in the rat neocortex of the protein kinase C isozyme protein kinase Mζ (PKMζ) enhances long-term memory, whereas inhibiting PKMζ disrupts memory, even long after memory has been formed.

Shema R et al., Science 331: 1207-1210 (2011).

http://www.sciencemag.org/content/331/6021/1207.abstract?sid=ecc73d51-1ab7-4e67-ad7e-89ede284d980