The location of protein-destroying “machines” in nerve cells in the brain may play a key role in how memories are formed – a finding that may have implications for treating Alzheimer's disease. 

    Researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine examined nerve cells in the hippocampus, a region of the brain associated with memory coding and storing. The synapses, or links between nerve cells, play an important part in memory as each nerve cell in the brain connects with at least a thousand others. 

    Using mice, scientists determined the strength of these connections, and then studied how protein degradation affects connection strength. Levels of proteins are controlled by cylindrical proteasomes that are located in all cells. 

    The research, published in Learning & Memory, is the first to show that the proteasomes in different parts of nerve cells play different roles in controlling synapse strength and, presumably, in memory. 

    “We hope to exploit this finding to manipulate memory and find ways to make it better,” said Ashok Hegde, who worked on the study.

    破坏蛋白质的“机器”在大脑神经元中的分布可能对记忆的形成有重要影响，这一发现对于治疗老年痴呆症 (Alzheimer's disease）可能会有所启示。

    维克森林大学医学院(Wake Forest University School of Medicine)的研究人员检测了海马体的神经元。海马体是大脑里与记忆的编码、储存相关的区域。神经元间的神经键（即神经元之间的连接）对记忆影响很大，因为每个神经元至少与1000个其它神经元相连接。

    科学家对老鼠进行研究，确定了这些连接的强度，然后研究了蛋白质退化是如何影响连接强度的。蛋白质水平是由分布在所有细胞中的圆柱状的蛋白酶体所控制的。

    发表在《学习与记忆》(Learning & Memory)杂志上的此项研究首次表明，分布在神经元不同位置的蛋白酶体在控制神经键强度以及记忆方面发挥不同作用。

    “我们希望利用这一发现来研究记忆问题，并且找到让记忆变得更好的方法，”参与这项研究的阿肖克•赫德格(Ashok Hegde)表示。