HISTORICAL REVIEW OF RESEARCH ON PROTEIN-KINASE-C IN LEARNING AND MEMORY

1. In 1977, the discovery of a new type of kinase was reported, which turned out to be a receptor for phorbol esters. Thereafter, several me chanisms regulating PKC activity and various PKC subtypes have been di scovered. 2. A role for PKC in synaptic plasticity and information sto rage has been postulated in the mid-1980s. An important role for PKC h as since been suggested in several learning and memory models, in whic h persistent changes in the activation of PKC outlasting the initial s timulating event are thought to be crucial. 3. A vast number of experi ments have further substantiated a role of PKC in learning and memory using molecular genetic, behavioral, pharmacological, electrophysiolog ical or immunocytochemical approaches in the late 1980s and the 1990s. PKC research of the past decade or so of has shown some exciting aspe cts of the putative role of PKC in synaptic plasticity and information storage. 4. The authors have provided highlights (Table 1) on researc h on PKC.