 Enhancing plasticity and recovery
In the last 10 years, we and others have genetically engineered different strains of mice with dramatic enhancements in learning and memory. For example, recently, our laboratory published three papers where we describe studies with mice with learning and memory enhancements. In one paper, we describe the derivation of a mouse strain with enhancements in learning and memory that are only expressed in aged subjects! In another, we describe mice that show dramatic enhancements in simple forms of learning and memory, but that are inflexible and fail to learn complex tasks. In a recently published paper, we describe the derivation of a mouse with the most dramatic and global enhancements in learning and memory that we are aware of.
Could mutations that enhance learning and memory also speed up recovery from injury?
Key Publications:
Kushner, S.A., Y. Elgersma, G.G. Murphy, D. Jaarsma, G.M. van Woerden, M.R. Hojjati, Y. Cui, J.C. LeBoutillier, D.F. Marrone, E.S. Choi, C.I. De Zeeuw, T.L. Petit, L. Pozzo-Miller, and A.J. Silva, Modulation of presynaptic plasticity and learning by the H-ras/extracellular signal-regulated kinase/synapsin I signaling pathway. J Neurosci, 2005. 25(42): p. 9721-34. (PDF)
Murphy GG, Fedorov NB, Giese KP, Ohno M, Friedman E, Chen R, Silva AJ. Increased neuronal excitability, synaptic plasticity, and learning in aged Kvbeta1.1 knockout mice. Curr Biol. 2004 Nov 9;14(21):1907-15.(PDF)
Elgersma, Y., N. Fedorov, S. Ikonen, E. Choi, M. Elgersma, O. Carvalho, K. Giese, and A. Silva, Inhibitory autophosphorylation of CaMKII controls PSD association, plasticity and learning. Neuron, 2002. 36(3): p. 493-505.(PDF)
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For descriptions of our other projects click on one of the links below...
Aging and Cognition · CaMKII and Learning · Cognitive enhancements · Cortical memories · Enhancing plasticity and recovery · Learning disabilities · Memory Allocation · Novel memory genes · Schizophrenia · Science of Science
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