Regulation of Neuronal Gene Expression and Protein Synthesis

The previous chapter described how changes in the environment are perceived at the cellular level and how this perception is transduced into a cellular response. Cellular responses to stimuli can lead to long-lasting functional changes, which generally occur via regulation of the expression of specific genes. The characteristic features of each cell, tissue and organism are in fact the results of distinctive gene expression. Thus, the knowledge of how gene expression is regulated is fundamental for the understanding of all biological functions. Many studies in the last 50 years have shown that transcription and translation are essential for behavioral responses including learning and memory as well as in long-term plasticity in general. Here we will discuss these two key mechanisms of gene expression, DNA transcription and RNA translation, and will particularly focus on how in the nervous system they mediate long-term memory formation.