Interregional synaptic maps among engram cells underlie memory formation

Abstract

Memories are stored in synapses Memory formation is thought to change the strength of synaptic connections between neurons. However, direct measurements between neurons that participate in a learning process are difficult to obtain. Choi et al. developed the “dual-eGRASP” technique to identify synaptic connections between hippocampal CA3 and CA1 pyramidal cells. This method could label two different sets of synapses so that their convergence on the same dendrites would be quantified. After contextual fear conditioning in mice, the number and size of spines were increased on CA1 engram cells receiving input from CA3 engram cells. Science , this issue p. 430