What happens inside neurons when we memorize a password or learn the cello? Some of our basic understanding about learning and memory comes from the study of conditions in which cognitive development is disrupted. For example, FMRP, a protein whose loss causes fragile X syndrome, intellectual disability, and some forms of autism has been shown to play a key role in these brain functions, helping regulate synaptic connections between neurons.
A new study now suggests that the role of this protein is more sophisticated than previously known. Looking at memory neurons in the hippocampus region of the mouse brain, Rockefeller scientists found that FMRP has two different jobs. Inside a neuron’s extensions, or dendrites, it regulates proteins required for strengthening the connections with other neurons. Inside the body of the cell, however, FMRP regulates the overall state of gene…
