Memories are initially encoded in the hippocampus but subsequently consolidated to the cortex. Although synaptic plasticity is key to these processes, its precise spatiotemporal profile remains poorly understood. Using optogenetics to selectively erase long-term potentiation (LTP) within a defined temporal window, we found that distinct phases of synaptic plasticity play differential roles. The first wave acts locally in the hippocampus to confer context specificity. The second wave, during sleep on the same day, organizes these neurons into synchronously firing assemblies. Finally, LTP in the anterior cingulate cortex during sleep on the second day is required for further stabilization of the memory. This demonstrates the precise localization, timing, and characteristic contributions of the plasticity events that underlie the early phase of memory consolidation.

中文翻译：

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逐步突触可塑性事件驱动记忆巩固的早期阶段

记忆最初在海马体中编码，但随后整合到皮层。尽管突触可塑性是这些过程的关键，但其精确的时空分布仍然知之甚少。使用光遗传学在定义的时间窗口内选择性地消除长时程增强 (LTP)，我们发现突触可塑性的不同阶段发挥不同的作用。第一波在海马体中局部作用以赋予上下文特异性。第二波，在同一天的睡眠期间，将这些神经元组织成同步发射的集合。最后，在第二天的睡眠期间，前扣带皮层的 LTP 是进一步稳定记忆所必需的。这展示了精确的定位、时间、