[extropy-chat] Prion protein gene and long-term memory

[Neil Halelamien]

Below are a couple of abstracts from articles recently mentioned in
this post by Carl Zimmer:

http://www.corante.com/loom/archives/2005/07/05/return_of_mad_cow_memories.php

The most interesting line (for me) was this one from the first
abstract: "Twenty-four hours after a word list learning task, carriers
of either the 129MM or the 129MV genotype recalled 17% more
information than 129VV carriers, whereas short-term memory was
unaffected."

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The prion gene is associated with human long-term memory
Andreas Papassotiropoulos, M. Axel Wollmer, Adriano Aguzzi, Christoph
Hock, Roger M. Nitsch, and Dominique J.-F. de Quervain

http://hmg.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/ddi228v1

Human cognitive processes are highly variable across individuals and
are influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Whereas
genetic variations affect short-term memory in humans, it is unknown
whether genetic variability has also an impact on long-term memory.
Because prion-like conformational changes may be involved in the
induction of long-lasting synaptic plasticity, we examined the impact
of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the prion protein gene
(PRNP) on long-term memory in healthy young humans. SNPs in the
genomic region of PRNP were associated with better long-term memory
performance in two independent populations with different educational
background. Among the examined PRNP SNPs the common Met129Val
polymorphism yielded the highest effect size. Twenty-four hours after
a word list learning task, carriers of either the 129MM or the 129MV
genotype recalled 17% more information than 129VV carriers, whereas
short-term memory was unaffected. These results suggest a role for the
prion protein in the formation of long-term memory in humans.


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PRIONS AS ADAPTIVE CONDUITS OF MEMORY AND INHERITANCE
James Shorter & Susan Lindquist

http://www.nature.com/nrg/journal/v6/n6/abs/nrg1616_fs.html

Changes in protein conformation drive most biological processes, but
none have seized the imagination of scientists and the public alike as
have the self-replicating conformations of prions. Prions transmit
lethal neurodegenerative diseases by means of the food chain. However,
self-replicating protein conformations can also constitute molecular
memories that transmit genetic information. Here, we showcase
definitive evidence for the prion hypothesis and discuss examples in
which prion-encoded heritable information has been harnessed during
evolution to confer selective advantages. We then describe situations
in which prion-enciphered events might have essential roles in
long-term memory formation, transcriptional memory and genome-wide
expression patterns.