How we think and gain empirical knowledge has been the object of investigation for many scientists throughout the years. Now prion researchers can add another piece to the puzzle: They suggest that the prion protein may be involved in long-term memory.

The cellular prion protein (PrP^C) is the substrate and prerequisite for the development of TSEs. It is present in most mammalian cell types and organs. Accordingly, a sizable amount of research has been conducted to understand its physiological function, particularly to gain more insight into its malformed, pathogenic isoform (PrP^Sc). A volume and wide range of biochemical, histological, functional and behavioral analyses have painted a complicated, and perhaps even confusing, picture of PrP^C function.

A new genetic approach by the research group of Papassotiropoulos investigated the impact of the polymorphism of the human prion protein on long-term memory in young people. They observed that people who carried one or two of the methionine alleles did significantly better in long-term memory tests than people carrying only valine alleles. Therefore, the key finding here is that the methionine allele seems to exert a dominant beneficial effect on human long-term memory.