Reviewing the evidence

Review of the evidence for PKMzeta and CaMKII as "Memory Molecules"

John Lisman, a friend and scientific sparing partner, died on October 20, 2017. John proposed in 1985 that an autophosphorylating kinase could be the molecular mechanism for memory persistence. He then worked on CaMKII as a memory storage molecule. See John's lecture, a week before he died.

John submitted a manuscript to Molecular Brain comparing the evidence in support of CaMKII and PKMzeta but died before the reviews. The manuscript was published as is and Todd and I wrote an accompanying review, along with expert commentary.

John and I disagreed on PKMzeta and CaMKII as memory molecules, but I loved arguing with him during our summer lunches on the dock of the Captain Kidd in Wood Hole. Thank you John for the opportunity to write this PKMzeta and CaMKII review. Many of us miss you.

Image credit: Panos Tsokas - LTP-inducing Schaffer Collateral stimulation increases PKMzeta expression (red) and synaptic responses in CA1