Spine-type-specific recruitment of newly synthesized AMPA receptors with learning

The stabilization of long- term memories requires de novo protein synthesis. How can proteins, synthesized in the soma, act on specific synapses that participate in a given memory? We studied the dynamics of newly synthesized AMPA- type glutamate receptors ( AMPARs) induced with learning using transgenic mice expressing the GluR1 subunit fused to green fluorescent protein ( GFP- GluR1) under control of the c- fos promoter. We found learning- associated recruitment of newly synthesized GFP- GluR1 selectively to mushroom- type spines in adult hippocampal CA1 neurons 24 hours after fear conditioning. Our results are consistent with a "synaptic tagging" model to allow activated synapses to subsequently capture newly synthesized receptor and also demonstrate a critical functional distinction in the mushroom spines with learning.