Figure 8.

Proposed model of experience-dependent gene expression in synaptic plasticity and memory consolidation processes. Synaptic activity driven by experience leads to alterations in intracellular second messenger levels, which in turn activate cellular kinases and phosphatases. These enzymes modulate the activity of a wide range of preexisting cellular proteins, including synaptic components and nuclear transcription factors. In the nucleus, the activation of transcription factors initiates a cascade of gene expression required for the formation of the long-term memory.