Protein synthesis blockade prevents fear memory reactivation via inhibition of engram synapse strengthening.

ABSTRACT: Memory relies on ensembles of engram cells in the brain. While previous studies have established the existence of these cells, the relationship between cellular and synaptic activity remains unclear. To address this, we applied the dual-enhanced green fluorescent protein reconstitution across synaptic partners (dual-eGRASP) technique in mice to examine synaptic connectivity between the ventral CA1 and the basal amygdala during memory formation. We found that contextual fear conditioning increased engram-to-engram synapse (engram synapse) density and induced structural potentiation, highlighting their importance in associative memory. Additionally, we investigated the role of protein synthesis in memory formation by drug-induced amnesia using anisomycin, a protein synthesis inhibitor. Mice

SUBMITTER: Hong I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12818406 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature