AUTHOR=Takashima Akihiko TITLE=GSK-3β and memory formation JOURNAL=Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience VOLUME=5 YEAR=2012 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/molecular-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnmol.2012.00047 DOI=10.3389/fnmol.2012.00047 ISSN=1662-5099 ABSTRACT=

In Alzheimer’s disease (AD), tau hyperphosphorylation and neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) formation are strongly associated with dementia, a characteristic and early feature of this disease. Glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β) is a pivotal kinase in both the normal and pathological phosphorylation of tau. In the diseased state, hyperphosphorylated tau is deposited in NFTs, the formation of which, drive the disease process. GSK-3β which is also involved in long-term depression induction, interacts with tau to inhibit synaptic long-term potentiation. Strong lines of evidence suggest that the activation of GSK-3β is responsible for the memory deficits seen in both advanced age and AD. In this review, we will focus on the role of GSK-3β in brain function, particularly in memory maintenance. We will examine human and mouse studies which suggest a role for GSK-3β in memory maintenance and the eventual development of memory deficits.