AlphaCaMKII autophosphorylation contributes to rapid learning but is not necessary for memory.

Autophosphorylation of alpha calcium-calmodulin-dependent kinase II (alphaCaMKII) has been proposed to be the key event in memory storage. We tested this hypothesis with autophosphorylation-deficient mutant mice in hippocampus- and amygdala-dependent learning and memory tasks and found that the autophosphorylation of alphaCaMKII was required for rapid learning but was not essential for memory. We conclude that alphaCaMKII autophosphorylation contributes to single-trial learning but is dispensable for memory.