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SUMMARY:BMI Seminar // Engram cell connectivity as substrate for memory st
 orage
DTSTART:20170111T121500
DTEND:20170111T131500
DTSTAMP:20260408T101544Z
UID:f85e804ed14c048e568e85d6a335c03db31dc2f1f22b86bb3d083f80
CATEGORIES:Conferences - Seminars
DESCRIPTION:Michele Pignatelli\, Picower Institute for Learning and Memory
 \, MIT\, University of Cambridge\, USA\nThe storage of information refers 
 to the systematic process of collecting and cataloging data so that they c
 an be retrieved on request. To date\, memory storage has mainly been inve
 stigated by pharmacological or molecular manipulation and by correlating s
 ynaptic changes with the strength of memory recall. Only recently it has b
 ecome possible to specifically tag cells activated by learning. By using a
  learning-induced tagging strategy we expressed channelrhodopsin in a spa
 rse population of learning-activated cells: engram cells. The opsin allowe
 d for the artificial reactivation of the cellular population labeled durin
 g learning and resulted in memory retrieval. The same tagging strategy als
 o verified the reactivation of engram cells upon presentation of retrieval
  cues. Engram cells displayed changes in synaptic weight typical of LTP s
 uch as high current amplitude\, insertion of AMPA receptors\, high spontan
 eous excitatory post-synaptic current frequency and amplitude\, and increa
 sed dendritic spine density. These changes were blocked by the systemic in
 jection of protein synthesis inhibitors (PSI) specifically within the con
 solidation window. However\, optogenetic activation of engram cells in PSI
 -injected mice elicited full memory recall. Furthermore\, engram cells fro
 m the dentate gyrus established preferential connections with engram cells
  in the downstream hippocampal CA3 region in a feedforward excitatory eng
 ram cell circuit. Remarkably\, this preferential connectivity was maintain
 ed in mice rendered amnesic by treatment with PSI within the consolidation
  window\, suggesting that memory storage may survive retrograde amnesia in
  the form of a neural connectivity pattern. These observations support th
 e concept of preferential connectivity of engram cell ensembles distribute
 d across multiple brain regions\, which is established during learning and
  persists despite disruption of consolidation and thereby provides a lasti
 ng substrate for memory storage.\n 
LOCATION:SV 1717 https://plan.epfl.ch/?room==SV%201717
STATUS:CONFIRMED
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