Abstract
Biological memory is the ability to develop, retain, and retrieve information over time. Currently, it is widely accepted that memories are stored in synapses (i.e., connections between brain cells throughout the brain) through a process known as synaptic plasticity, which leads to either long-term potentiation (LTP) or long-term depression (LTD). However, the strengthening (LTP) and weakening (LTD) of synapses involve post-translational modifications to neural networks requiring de novo gene expression, a lengthy and energetically expensive process. Recently, we observed that lipid bilayers in the absence of peptides/proteins are capable of LTP, not unlike what has been observed in mammals and birds. As such, this finding has prompted us to postulate that the lipid bilayer provides a good model for understanding the molecular basis of biological memory. In this article, we discuss the status, challenges, and opportunities of neuronal plasma membranes as structures for biological memory and learning, therapeutic targets for various brain disorders, and platforms for neural network developments.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 2973-2979 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Langmuir |
| Volume | 41 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Feb 11 2025 |
Funding
J.K. and C.P.C. are supported through the Scientific User Facilities Division of the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science, sponsored by the Basic Energy Science (BES) Program, DOE Office of Science, under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725. D.B. is supported through the National Science Foundation, Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB), under contract no. 2219289. All samples were prepared at the Physical Characterization Laboratories located at the Shull Wollan Center. Data were collected and analyzed at the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS), a US DOE Office of Science User Facility and the Shull Wollan Center.