The Delicate Bistability of CaMKII

The delicate bistability of CaMKII.

Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is a synaptic, autophosphorylating kinase that is essential for learning and memory. Previous models have suggested that CaMKII functions as a bistable switch that could be the molecular correlate of long-term memory, but experiments have failed to validate these predictions. These models involved significant approximations to overcome the...

First demonstration of bistability in CaMKII, a memory-related kinase.

How do we learn? More specifically, what biochemical and structural changes occur in the brain during the processes of learning and memory? The truth is that, despite decades of research, we still do not have a satisfactory answer to this question. One of the leading theories, the Hebbian learning paradigm (1), proposes that memories are encoded by altering the strength of individual synaptic c...

The delicate business of identity

Delicate Decisions

The anti-apoptotic BCL2-family member MCL1 can be induced by a number of growth factors and promote cell survival. However, how growth factors maintain MCL1 levels to prevent apoptosis has been unclear. Maurer et al. now report that the control of MCL1 stability by glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3) is an important mechanism for the regulation of apoptosis by growth factors and AKT/protein kinas...

the effect of taftan pozzolan on the compressive strength of concrete in the environmental conditions of oman sea (chabahar port)

cement is an essential ingredient in the concrete buildings. for production of cement considerable amount of fossil fuel and electrical energy is consumed. on the other hand for generating one tone of portland cement, nearly one ton of carbon dioxide is released. it shows that 7 percent of the total released carbon dioxide in the world relates to the cement industry. considering ecological issu...