If I could only remember ….

A recent essay described the process of cytoplasmic polyadenylation, and the functioning of the process in animal oocyte maturation and early development.  Cytoplasmic control of translation is important, not only in the oocyte, but in other settings as well.  One of these is in the neuron, where gene expression in repsonse to synaptic stimulation can be controlled by the activation of stored mRNAs in the cytoplasm.  While details of this control have remained poorly understood, a suggestive requirement (well, it’s suggestive when it comes to the general subject of this blog) of CPEB for memory in Drosophila lends itself to the hypothesis that the activation of stored mRNAs in the neuron involves cytoplamsic polyadenylation.

It is thus of interest to see that Drosophila homologue of Gld2 (the cytoplasmic poly(A) polymerase mentioned here) is required for long-term memory.  The abstract of the recent report follows.  As always, enjoy.