A molecular switch for memory and addiction
Learning and memory formation are based on the creation of new connections between neurones in the brain. Also, behaviours such as nicotine addiction manifest themselves in long-term changes of neuronal connectivity and can - at least in this respect - be viewed as a form of learning. A team around Pierluigi Nicotera, scientific director of the German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) and collaborating laboratories at the MRC, UK and University of Modena, Italy have now discovered a molecular switch that plays a crucial role in establishing addictive behaviour and memory processes. These results may contribute to new strategies for preventing memory loss or treating addictive behaviour. The study is published online in EMBO Journal on November 26th...