Achieving synaptic stability: An investigation of processes that maintain glutamate receptor clusters at synapses

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Memories, it is said can last a lifetime and yet the very molecules that form the substrate for memory are proteins that are highly labile and have a lifespan far shorter than the memory they represent. While one might imagine that if a molecule became damaged and was degraded by the cell, the solution would simply be to replace it with another molecule just like it, this is far from straight forward as the storage of a memory is thought to require these molecules to be arranged in precise patterns, with certain numbers of molecules at each point in the pattern. Thus, it is necessary to return the degraded molecule from whence it came. It would seem that what is needed is a memory for memory! As this is rather absurd then an alternative needs be sought. Ideally, a mechanism is required that self stabilizes once the memory is established. Importantly, any mechanism must have the capacity to show some adaptability, as memories are not always robust and can be augmented but can also wain. Recently, we have been exploring some theoretical ideas about the types of mechanism that might enable neurons to generate memories that become stable. Our ideas incorporate some less commonly considered features of biological processes and accept that the biological building blocks degrade and need to be replaced on a time scale far more rapid than the loss of memory. In our current work we are looking to test our theoretical ideas with experiments designed to determine whether stability arises from the behaviour of populations of molecules not the activity of any single element.