Molecular detection of memory

American scientists at New York University have discovered that the molecular mechanism maintains the storage of memories in the brain. They demonstrated in Science that, when inhibiting a molecule In particular, they have erased long-term memories, similar to how one can delete a computer's hard drive.

Scientists have also demonstrated that deleting these memories does not hinder their ability to recover them in the same way as the re-use of a clean computer's hard drive. This finding may help find applications in the treatment of chronic pain, post-traumatic disorders and memory loss.

According to the researchers, the enzyme molecule entitled ' kinase M zeta protein ' (PKM zeta) helps to maintain long-term memory by continuously strengthening the connections between nerve cells. When inhibiting this enzyme, the scientists deleted the memories recorded in a day for up to a month. They demonstrated that this function is specific to PKM zeta enzymes, inhibiting other binding molecules does not affect memory.

Identifying the key molecular mechanism of memory storage can help identify specific pathogens that allow memory and memory loss. Since the beginning of this year, the scientists have also announced that PKM zeta is related to disorders of Alzheimer's disease that may be partly due to inhibited memory storage function.

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