About the CREB Gene

Professor Ron Davis explains that the gene CREB is important to memory. Blocking CREB expression, blocks short-term memory formation.

One of the molecules that is particularly important for long-term memory is a molecule called CREB. It’s a repressor of gene expression in the genome. And of one of the principle and important findings that has been made is in Drosophila with this molecule dCREBb because if one over expresses it in the brain, one can shut down the expression of genes. And that blocks not the formation and the expression of short-term memories, but it blocks long-term memories. So it was really very nice evidence showing this particular molecule is critical for the formation of long-term memories specifically.