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Translating prions at the synapse

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New studies indicate that an Aplysia californica variant of the translational regulator CPEB exhibits prion-like properties, enabling the protein to establish a stable, self-perpetuating and synapse-specific enhancement of neurotransmission. These studies suggest that a radically new kind of signalling — an autocatalytic change in protein conformation — is involved in maintaining long-term memories.

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Figure 1: A potential model for a CPEB-based mnemogenic chemical reaction.
Figure 2: Theoretical constraints on a prion-type mnemogenic reaction.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, 77030-3498, TX, USA

    Jonathan M. Levenson & J. David Sweatt

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  1. Jonathan M. Levenson
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  2. J. David Sweatt
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Levenson, J., Sweatt, J. Translating prions at the synapse. Nat Cell Biol 6, 184–187 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb0304-184b

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