Reciprocal activation within a kinase effector complex: A mechanism for the persistence of molecular memory

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Synaptic connections in neuronal circuits change in response to neuronal activity patterns. This can induce a persistent change in the efficacy of synaptic transmission, a phenomenon known as synaptic plasticity. One form of plasticity, long-term potentiation (LTP) has been extensively studied as the cellular basis of memory. In LTP, the potentiated synaptic transmission persists along with structural changes in the synapses. Many studies have sought to identify the “memory molecule” or the “molecular engram”. Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is probably the most well-studied candidate for the memory molecule. However, consensus has not yet been reached on a very basic aspect: how CaMKII is regulated during LTP. Here, I propose a new model of CaMKII regulation: reciprocal activation within a kinase effector complex (RAKEC) that is made between CaMKII and its effector protein, which is mediated by a persistent interaction between CaMKII and a pseudosubstrate sequence on T-lymphoma invasion and metastasis protein 1 (Tiam1), resulting in reciprocal activation of these two molecules. Through the RAKEC mechanism, CaMKII can maintain memory as biochemical activity in a synapse-specific manner. In this review, the detailed mechanism of the RAKEC and its expansion for the maintenance of LTP is described.