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Review|Volume 12, Issue 14|pp 15169—15182

Role of CPEB3 protein in learning and memory: new insights from synaptic plasticity

Wen Rui Qu1,2, Qi Han Sun3, Qian Qian Liu1,2, Hong Juan Jin4, Ran Ji Cui2, Wei Yang2, De Biao Song2, Bing Jin Li2
  • 1Department of Hand Surgery, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
  • 2Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
  • 3School of Pharmacy, Jilin University, Changchun, China
  • 4Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
Received: February 5, 2020Accepted: May 25, 2020Published: July 2, 2020
https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.103404

Copyright: © 2020 Qu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Abstract

The cytoplasmic polyadenylation element-binding (CPEB) protein family have demonstrated a crucial role for establishing synaptic plasticity and memory in model organisms. In this review, we outline evidence for CPEB3 as a crucial regulator of learning and memory, citing evidence from behavioral, electrophysiological and morphological studies. Subsequently, the regulatory role of CPEB3 is addressed in the context of the plasticity-related proteins, including AMPA and NMDA receptor subunits, actin, and the synaptic scaffolding protein PSD95. Finally, we delve into some of the more well-studied molecular mechanisms that guide the functionality of this dynamic regulator both during synaptic stimulation and in its basal state, including a variety of upstream regulators, post-translational modifications, and important structural domains that confer the unique properties of CPEB3. Collectively, this review offers a comprehensive view of the regulatory layers that allow a pathway for CPEB3’s maintenance of translational control that guides the necessary protein changes required for the establishment and maintenance of lasting synaptic plasticity and ultimately, long term learning and memory.