Synaptic Tagging and Capture: Functional Implications and Molecular Mechanisms

This chapter introduces the concept of synaptic tagging and capture, which was first identified in electrophysiological studies in hippocampal brain slices. It outlines the basic principles of the concept and then moves on to discuss functional as well as mechanistic aspects. The former relates to behavioral and cognitive studies, showing that weakly encoded memories, which ordinarily decay rapidly and are, therefore, forgotten, may be retained for much longer if they occur around the time of strongly encoded memories associated with novelty or surprise. The mechanistic section outlines work seeking to identify the molecular basis of this apparently synergistic effect on memory, specifically the molecular mechanisms of synaptic tagging and the nature of plasticity-related proteins. It ends with a discussion of some outstanding questions, with many themes taken up in greater detail in other chapters of the book.