Consolidating unique memories: BDNF interacts with adult-born neurons in the dentate gyrus during pattern separation.

PEDRO BEKINSCHTEIN

Huerta Grande

Conferencia; Reunión satélite sobre Neurobiología del Comportamiento: ?NeuroetologÍa y Neurobiología de la Memoria en el cono sur? Un homenaje a Héctor Maldonado.; 2013

Sociedad Argentina de investigación en Neurociencias

Successful memory involves not only remembering information over time but also keeping memories distinct and less confusable. The computational process for making representations of similar input patterns more distinct from each other has been referred to as "pattern separation." Although adult-born immature neurons have been implicated in this memory feature, the precise role of these neurons and associated molecules in the processing of overlapping memories is unknown. Recently, we found that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the dentate gyrus is required for the encoding/consolidation of overlapping memories. In this study, we provide evidence that consolidation of these "pattern-separated" memories requires the action of BDNF on immature neurons specifically.