The Drosophila Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Alk Constrains Long-Term Memory Formation

The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience
Jean Y GouziE M Skoulakis

Abstract

In addition to mechanisms promoting protein-synthesis-dependent long-term memory (PSD-LTM), the process appears to also be specifically constrained. We present evidence that the highly conserved receptor tyrosine kinase dAlk is a novel PSD-LTM attenuator in Drosophila Reduction of dAlk levels in adult α/β mushroom body (MB) neurons during conditioning elevates LTM, whereas its overexpression impairs it. Unlike other memory suppressor proteins and miRNAs, dAlk within the MBs constrains PSD-LTM specifically but constrains learning outside the MBs as previously shown. Dendritic dAlk levels rise rapidly in MB neurons upon conditioning, a process apparently controlled by the 3'UTR of its mRNA, and interruption of the 3'UTR leads to enhanced LTM. Because its activating ligand Jeb is dispensable for LTM attenuation, we propose that postconditioning elevation of dAlk within α/β dendrites results in its autoactivation and constrains formation of the energy costly PSD-LTM, acting as a novel memory filter.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In addition to the widely studied molecular mechanisms promoting protein-synthesis-dependent long-term memory (PSD-LTM), recent discoveries indicate that the process is also specifically constrained. We describe a ...Continue Reading

Citations

Jan 22, 2019·Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery·Katerina PapanikolopoulouEfthimios Skoulakis
Apr 16, 2020·Aging Cell·Nathaniel S WoodlingLinda Partridge
Jan 17, 2021·Molecular Psychiatry·Jisu ParkYong-Keun Jung
Jun 5, 2019·Bio-protocol·Ourania SemelidouEfthimios M C Skoulakis
Aug 28, 2021·Neuron·Nathaniel C NoyesRonald L Davis

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