Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

The long and the short of long–term memory—a molecular framework

Abstract

A single learning event initiates several memory processes with different time courses of retention. While short term memory involves covalent modification of pre-existing proteins, the finding that long-term memory requires the expression, during learing, of additional genes, makes it possible to analyse in molecular terms the induction and retention of long-term memory.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ebbinghaus, H. Memory: A Contribution to Experimental Psychology (Dover, New York, 1963).

    Google Scholar 

  2. James, W. The Principles of Psychology (Holt, New York, 1890).

    Google Scholar 

  3. McDougall, W. Mind 10, 385–394 (1901).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Klatzky, R.L. Human Memory. Structures and Processes 2nd edn (Freeman, San Francisco, 1980).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Davis, H.P. & Squire, L.R. Psychol. Bull. 96, 518–559 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Schwartz, J.H., Castellucci, V.F. & Kandel, E.R. J. Neurophysiol. 34, 939–963 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Kandel, E.R. & Schwartz, J.H. Science 218, 433–443 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Alkon, D.L. Science 226, 1037–1045 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Farley, J. & Auerbach, S. Nature 319, 220–223 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Livingstone, M.S. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 82, 5992–5996 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Quinn, W.G. in Biology of Learning (eds Marler, P. & Terrace, H.) 197–246 (Dahlem Konferenzen, Berlin, 1984).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  12. Dudai, Y. Adv. Cyclic Nucleotide Protein Phosphoryl. Res. (in the press).

  13. Byrne, J.H. Trends Neurosci. 8, 478–482 (1986).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Crick, F. Nature 312, 101–102 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Lynch, G. & Baudry, A. Science 224, 1057–1063 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Saitoh, T. & Schwartz, J.H. J. Cell Biol. 100, 835–842 (1985).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Lisman, J.E. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 82, 3055–3057 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Miller, S.G. & Kennedy, M.B. Cell (in the press).

  19. Agranoff, B.W. The Chemistry of Mood Motivation and Memory (Plenum, New York, 1972).

    Google Scholar 

  20. Montarolo, P.G., Castellucci, V.F., Goelet, P., Kandel, E.R. & Schacher, S. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 11, 795 (1985).

    Google Scholar 

  21. Schacher, S., Montarolo, P.G., Castellucci, V.F., Kandel, E.R. & Goelet, P. Science (in the press).

  22. Flexner, J.B., Flexner, L.B. & Stellar, E. Science 141, 57–59 (1963).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Barondes, S.H. Short-Term Memory (eds Deutsch, D. & Deutsch, J. A.) 379–390 (Academic, New York, 1975).

    Google Scholar 

  24. Frost, W.N., Castellucci, V.F., Hawkins, R.D. & Kandel, E.R. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 82, 8266–8269 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Murdoch, G.H., Rosenfeld, M.G. & Evans, R.M. Science 218, 1315–1317 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Waterman, M., Murdoch, G.M., Evans, R.M. & Rosenfeld, M.G. Science 229, 267–269 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. de Crombrugghe, A., Bushby, B. & Bug, H. Biological Regulation and Development Vol. 3B (eds Goldberger, R. F. & Yamamoto, K. R.) 129–167 (Plenum, New York, 1984).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  28. Nagamine, Y. & Reich, E. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 82, 4606–4610 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Yamamoto, K.R. A. Rev. Genet. 19, 209–252 (1985).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Ashburner, M. Heat Shock: From Bacteria to Man (eds Schlesinger, M. J., Ashburner, M. & Tissieres, A.) 1–9 (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, 1982).

    Google Scholar 

  31. Murdoch, G.H., Evans, R.M. & Rosenfeld, M.G. in Biochemical Actions of Hormones Vol. 12 (ed. Litwack, G.) 38–69 (Academic, 1985).

    Google Scholar 

  32. Blobel, G. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 77, 1496–1500 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Sabatini, D.D., Kreibich, G., Morimoto, P. & Adesnik, M. J. Cell Biol. 92, 1–22 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Rothman, J.E. Scient. Am. 253 (3), 74–89 (1985).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Razin, A. & Friedman, J. Prog. Nucleic Acid Res. molec. Biol. 25, 33 (1981).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Groudine, M. & Weintraub, H. Cell 30, 131–139 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Cajal, S.R. Histologie du Systéme Nerveux de l'Homme et des Vertébres Vol. 2 (transl. Azoulay, L.) (Institute Ramon y Cajal, Madrid, 1955).

    Google Scholar 

  38. Kandel, E.R. Harvey Lect. 73, 19–92 (1979).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Purves, D. & Lichtmann, J.W. Principles of Neural Development (Sinauer, Sunderland, Massachusetts, 1985).

    Google Scholar 

  40. Bailey, C.H. & Chen, M. Science 220, 91–93 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Greenough, W.T. in Neurobiology of Learning and Memory (eds Lynch, G., McGaugh, J. L. & Weinberger, N. M.) 170–478 (Guilford, London, 1984).

    Google Scholar 

  42. Richards, G. & Ashburner, M. Biological Regulation and Development Vol. 3B (eds Goldberger, R. F. & Yamamoto, K. R.) 213–253 (Plenum, New York, 1984).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  43. Nevins, J.R. CRC crit. Rev. Biochem. 12, 307–322 (1985).

    Google Scholar 

  44. Cochran, B.H., Reffel, A.C. & Stiles, C.D. Cell 33, 939–947 (1983).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Lau, L.F. & Nathans, D. EMBO J. 4(12), 3145–3151 (1985).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Greenberg, M.E., Green, L. A. & Ziff, E. B. J. biol. Chem. 260, 14107–14110 (1985).

    Google Scholar 

  47. Kruiger, W., Schubert, D. & Verma, I.M. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 82, 7330–7334 (1985).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  48. Morgan, J. I. & Curran, T. Nature (in the press).

  49. Weinberg, R. A. Science 230, 770–776 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. Lewin, R. Science 233, 159 (1986).

    ADS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  51. Treisman, R. Cell 42, 889–902 (1985).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  52. Blanchard, J.-M. et al. Nature 317, 443–445 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Goelet, P., Castellucci, V., Schacher, S. et al. The long and the short of long–term memory—a molecular framework. Nature 322, 419–422 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1038/322419a0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/322419a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing