Multiple memory mechanisms? The long and the short of it

Synaptic plasticity is known to be intrinsically linked to cytoskeletal remodelling. In a new study published in this issue of The EMBO Journal, Rust et al have therefore generated and analysed a forebrain-specific mouse knockout of the actin-severing factor n-cofilin. Intriguingly, these mice exhibit a particular form of learning impairment-intact working memory but impaired spatial reference memory, correlating with a deficit in long-lasting long-term potentiation (LTP)