| First Author | Zhu S | Year | 2016 |
| Journal | PLoS One | Volume | 11 |
| Issue | 9 | Pages | e0162766 |
| PubMed ID | 27627766 | Mgi Jnum | J:251039 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:6099384 | Doi | 10.1371/journal.pone.0162766 |
| Citation | Zhu S, et al. (2016) PERK Regulates Working Memory and Protein Synthesis-Dependent Memory Flexibility. PLoS One 11(9):e0162766 |
| abstractText | PERK (EIF2AK3) is an ER-resident eIF2alpha kinase required for memory flexibility and metabotropic glutamate receptor-dependent long-term depression, processes known to be dependent on new protein synthesis. Here we investigated PERK's role in working memory, a cognitive ability that is independent of new protein synthesis, but instead is dependent on cellular Ca2+ dynamics. We found that working memory is impaired in forebrain-specific Perk knockout and pharmacologically PERK-inhibited mice. Moreover, inhibition of PERK in wild-type mice mimics the fear extinction impairment observed in forebrain-specific Perk knockout mice. Our findings reveal a novel role of PERK in cognitive functions and suggest that PERK regulates both Ca2+ -dependent working memory and protein synthesis-dependent memory flexibility. |
