Role of signal transduction crosstalk between adenylyl cyclase and MAP kinase in hippocampus-dependent memory

Abstract

One of the intriguing questions in neurobiology is how long-term memory (LTM) traces are established and maintained in the brain. Memory can be divided into at least two temporally and mechanistically distinct forms. Short-term memory (STM) lasts no longer than several hours, while LTM persists for days or longer. A crucial step in the generation of LTM is consolidation, a process in which STM is converted to LTM. Hippocampus-dependent LTM depends on activation of Ca2+, Erk/MAP kinase (MAPK), and cAMP signaling pathways, as well as de novo gene expression and translation. One of the transcriptional pathways strongly implicated in LTM is the CREB/CRE (calcium, cAMP response element) transcriptional pathway. Interestingly, this transcriptional pathway may also contribute to other forms of neuroplasticity including adaptive responses to drugs. Evidence discussed in this review indicates that activation of the Erk1/2 MAP Kinase (MAPK)/CRE transcriptional pathway during the formation of hippocampus-dependent memory depends on calmodulin (CaM)-stimulated adenylyl cyclases. © 2012 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.