Abstract
There are numerous studies examining the effects of tryptophan on behavioral processes, including learning and memory. While most studies suggest that fluctuations in tryptophan levels exert their effects through modifications in serotonergic neurotransmission, there are other neural mechanisms that have accounted for the observed outcomes as well. In this study, we demonstrated that acute administration of tryptophan modulates spatial and object-recognition memory independent of its role as a serotonin precursor. One possible explanation for the observed improvement in memory is through the interaction between tryptophan and microtubule proteins. Microtubules are key components involved in the morphological and functional development of neurons. Moreover, several models suggest that microtubule dynamics contributes to neural network connectivity, information processing, and memory storage. Here, we examined the interaction between tryptophan and microtubules and indicated that tryptophan is capable of a creating a static interaction with the tubulin dimer through a single binding site. This interaction induces the rate of tubulin assembly and as a result increases polymer mass.
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The authors wish to thank Professor Warren H. Meck for his support throughout the study and his valuable comments during the preparation of the manuscript.
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GHR designed and directed the project and devised the main conceptual ideas. SAY performed the experiments and with the assistance of MJ analyzed the data and prepared the manuscript.
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Yousefzadeh, S.A., Jarah, M. & Riazi, G.H. Tryptophan Improves Memory Independent of Its Role as a Serotonin Precursor: Potential Involvement of Microtubule Proteins. J Mol Neurosci 70, 559–567 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12031-019-01457-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12031-019-01457-y