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Originally published in Science Express on 7 February 2008
Science 29 February 2008:
Vol. 319. no. 5867, pp. 1253 - 1256
DOI: 10.1126/science.1150541

Reports

Synaptic Protein Degradation Underlies Destabilization of Retrieved Fear Memory

Sue-Hyun Lee, Jun-Hyeok Choi, Nuribalhae Lee, Hye-Ryeon Lee, Jae-Ick Kim, Nam-Kyung Yu, Sun-Lim Choi, Seung-Hee Lee, Hyoung Kim, Bong-Kiun Kaang*

Reactivated memory undergoes a rebuilding process that depends on de novo protein synthesis. This suggests that retrieval is dynamic and serves to incorporate new information into preexisting memories. However, little is known about whether or not protein degradation is involved in the reorganization of retrieved memory. We found that postsynaptic proteins were degraded in the hippocampus by polyubiquitination after retrieval of contextual fear memory. Moreover, the infusion of proteasome inhibitor into the CA1 region immediately after retrieval prevented anisomycin-induced memory impairment, as well as the extinction of fear memory. This suggests that ubiquitin- and proteasome-dependent protein degradation underlies destabilization processes after fear memory retrieval. It also provides strong evidence for the existence of reorganization processes whereby preexisting memory is disrupted by protein degradation, and updated memory is reconsolidated by protein synthesis.

National Creative Research Initiative Center for Memory, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, San 56-1 Silim-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-747, Korea.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: kaang{at}snu.ac.kr

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)