Synaptic Plasticity and Memory Editing

Learning and memory are linked processes by which an organism can acquire, store and retrieve new information. The process of encoding new information is based on the principle of synaptic plasticity that establishes that neurons can vary the strength of their synaptic connections depending on specific patterns of the synaptic activity. Both pre-synaptic and post-synaptic mechanisms can contribute to the expression of synaptic plasticity. The memory can be either short-term or long-term. Short-term memory is achieved by covalent modifications of pre-existing proteins, whereas long-term memory requires gene expression that will lead to the synthesis of new proteins and the establishment and strengthening of new synaptic connections. The mechanism by which short-term memory is converted into long-term memory is known as consolidation. During consolidation; and during the posterior re-storage after retrieval, also known as reconsolidation, the memory trace which is the pattern of neurons and synapses that represent long-term memory at the cellular level, will overcome a transient destabilization. This window of plasticity opens the possibility of memory editing. This poster will review the recent literature focusing on the synthesis of new synapses as a form of synaptic plasticity and the possibility of memory editing during consolidation