Relation of memory formation to controlled amounts of brain protein synthesis.

Anisomycin, an inhibitor of brain protein synthesis, was used to control the time and duration of protein synthesis occurring in mice after they were trained on a one-trial passive avoidance task. It was found that if synthesis was strongly inhibited for 6 to 8 hr, a high percentage of the animals was amnesic. However, if small amounts of protein synthesis were allowed to occur by permitting intervals of partial recovery of protein synthesis during the period of inhibition, then fewer mice were amnesic. The longer the duration of this interval of controlled synthesis and the closer it occurred to training, the greater the percentage of subjects remembering the training.