Building stronger synapses: investigation of the structural role of CaMKII in long-term potentiation

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Long-term potentiation (LTP) of synaptic connections between neurons is a fundamental mechanism for learning and memory. In most synapses, highly abundant calmodulindependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) plays an essential role by linking large influxes of calcium to phosphorylation of ion channels embedded in the postsynaptic membrane. In addition to its enzymatic role, CaMKII accumulates in dendritic spines during LTP induction, where it establishes molecular interactions that maintain the synapse in a potentiated state. The aim of this project is to understand how CaMKII fulfils this poorly understood latter role by combining chemical, structural, physiological, and computational approaches.