Fasting Launches CRTC to Facilitate Long-Term Memory Formation in Drosophila

Abstract

Hunger and Memory During starvation, are all brain functions slowed down, or are specific functions disabled to save energy? Plaçais and Preat (p. 440 ) investigated how the brain of Drosophila deals with severe resource limitation. The brain cut selected expenses to reduce the threat to survival and switched off the formation of aversive long-term memory that depends on costly protein synthesis. However, Hirano et al. (p. 443 ) focused on mild food-deprivation, which actually enhanced long-term memory formation. Presumably, improved memory should enhance survival when competing for limited food. After longer food deprivation, enhancement of aversive long-term memory decreased, while that of appetitive long-term memory remained high: Presumably, as starvation nears, it becomes more important to pursue food at all costs, and so appetitive memory takes precedence over aversive memories.