Like brain cells, kidney cells can form memories

Kidney cells can also create memories. At least in a molecular sense.

Neurons have historically been the cell most associated with memory. But many off the brain, kidney cells can also store information and recognize patterns in a way similar to neurons, researchers report on November 7 Nature Communications.

“We are not saying that this type of memory helps you learn trigonometry or remember how to ride a bike or preserve childhood memories,” says Nikolay Kukushkin, a neuroscientist at New York University. “This research adds to the idea of ​​memory; does not challenge the existing concepts of memory in the brain. ”

In experiments, the kidney cells showed signs of what is called “mass space effect”. This well -known feature of how the memory works in the brain facilitates the storage of information in small pieces over time, instead of a large part immediately.

Outside the brain, cells of all types must keep track of things. One way to do this is through a central memory processing protein called Creb. It, and other molecular memory components, are found in neurons and non -non -cells. While the cells have similar parts, the researchers were not sure if the parts functioned the same way.

In the neurone, when a chemical signal passes, the cell begins to produce Creb. Protein then activates more genes that further change the cell, turning on the molecular memory machine (Sn: 2/3/04). Kukushkin and colleagues decided to determine if Creb in the non -ionuronal cells responds to the input signals in the same way.

Researchers introduced an artificial gene into human embryonic kidney cells. This finds artificial mainly matches the natural extent of DNA that Creb activates by connecting to it – a region that researchers call memory gene. The introduced genius also included guidelines for producing a sparkling protein found in sparkle.

The team then observed cells responding to artificial chemical impulses that mimic signals that promote memory machinery in neurons. “Depending on the light [the glowing protein] It produces, we know how strongly it is activated it finds memory, “Kukushkin says.

Different time models of pulses resulted in different answers. When researchers applied four three-minute chemical impulses divided by 10 minutes, light 24 hours later was stronger than in cells where researchers applied a massive “pulse”, a pulse of just 12 minutes.

“This [massed-spaced] The effect has never been seen outside the brain, is always intended as this property of neurons, of a brain, how memory is formed, ”says Kukushkin. “But we propose that maybe if you give non -brain cells quite complicated tasks, they will also be able to form a memory.”

Neuroscientist Ashok Hegde calls the study “interesting because they are applying what is generally considered a principle of neuroscience to some extent to understand the expression of genes in the non -remedial cells”. But it is unclear how generalizable the findings are for other cell types, says Hegde, from Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville. However, he says this research one day can help search for potential medicines to treat human diseases, especially those where memory loss occurs.

Kukushkin agrees. The body can store information, he says, and this can be significant to one’s health.

“Maybe we can think of cancer cells like memories and think about what they can learn from the chemotherapy model,” Kukushkin says. “Maybe we have to consider not only how many drugs we are giving a person, but what is the time model of that drug, just as we think about how to learn more efficiently.”