CREB AND MEMORY

The cAMP responsive element binding protein (CREB) is a nuclear protei n that modulates the transcription of genes with cAMP responsive eleme nts in their promoters. Increases in the concentration of either calci um or cAMP can trigger the phosphorylation and activation of CREB. Thi s transcription factor is a component of intracellular signaling event s that regulate a wide range of biological functions, from spermatogen esis to circadian rhythms and memory. Here we review the key features of CREB-dependent transcription, as well as the involvement of CREB in memory formation. Evidence from Aplysia, Drosophila, mice, and rats s hows that CREB-dependent transcription is required for the cellular ev ents underlying long-term but not short-term memory. While the work in Aplysia and Drosophila only involved CREB function in very simple for ms of conditioning, genetic and pharmacological studies in mice and ra ts demonstrate that CREB is required for a variety of complex forms of memory, including spatial and social learning, thus indicating that C REB may be a universal modulator of processes required for memory form ation.