RISC-y Memories

Local protein synthesis in the synapse is required for synaptic plasticity and has been implicated in learning and memory. However, direct evidence that behavioral training induces local protein synthesis has been lacking. In this issue of Cell, Ashraf et al. (2006) observe persistent local protein synthesis in the antennal lobe synapses of the fruit fly following olfactory-avoidance learning. This protein synthesis is regulated by the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC).