We study the mechanisms underlying the processes of learning and memory, at the molecular, cellular and systems level. Current projects focus on the NMDA receptor and the immediate-early gene Arc, which play essential roles in learning and memory consolidation, respectively. We have shown that efficient Arc translation requires coincident activation of the NMDA receptor and receptors associated with fear/reward pathways, suggesting that Arc mediates a role for emotion in memory consolidation. Our localization of Arc protein to the nucleus, and its association PML bodies, suggests that Arc mediates formation of long term memories through epigenetic regulation of gene expression.
