Scientists Identify Key Molecules in Long-Term Memory Formation

Scientists have long sought the key to memory's endurance. The hunt led to PKMzeta, a protein thought crucial for memory retention. Block it, and memories fade. Yet, PKMzeta's lifespan is brief, unlike memories that can last decades.

New research points to KIBRA, another molecule, as PKMzeta's partner. KIBRA tags synapses activated by learning. PKMzeta then strengthens these tagged connections. Together, they maintain memory. Block their interaction, and long-term potentiation—the strengthening of synapses—crumbles.

This discovery shifts the focus from a single memory molecule to a dynamic duo. Memories, it seems, are not anchored by one element but by a persistent partnership.

Some memories, like fear linked to a location, operate outside this system. The puzzle of memory's glue remains incomplete, with more pieces to find.