<p>One hypothesis about the molecular basis of memory is CaMKII<br>
Nature Reviews Neuroscience 13, 169-182 (March 2012) | doi:10.1038/nrn3192<br>
Mechanisms of CaMKII action in long-term potentiation<br>
<a href="http://www.silvalab.com/LMcourse/Lisman2012.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://www.silvalab.com/LMcourse/Lisman2012.pdf</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-18T20:33:05.807Z
How exactly is information stored in the phosphorylated CaMKII? From that paper, it seems that the only constant is the phosphorylation. How exactly does the phosphorylation store this information if it is only adding a functional group.
Halbort
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2015-11-19T02:39:31.283Z
see [The Stability of a Stochastic CaMKII Switch: Dependence on the Number of Enzyme Molecules and Protein Turnover
Miller, Zhabotinsky, Lisman, Wang](http://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.0030107).  In short, once CaMKII is phosphorylated (activated) it can phosphorylate other subunits of the CaMKII dodecomer, leading to a positive feedback loop.  This gives a stable activated state.  Naturally, the totally unactivated state is also stable.  This gives two stable states, activated and unactivated that a pulse of calcium can switch the CaMKII complex between.
honi
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-19T02:40:42.397Z
Just to be clear though, there are many hypotheses, none of which have been fully worked out, and the significance of which are not completely clear.
honi
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-18T15:04:23.887Z
2015-11-18T18:04:56.247Z
2015-11-18T18:04:56.247Z
honi
<p>I believe information in computer is physically stored as a lattice of "boxes". Each box is either magnetized or de-magnetized. The computer reads this to retrieve and consolidate useful information. </p>

<p>My question is at the cellular level, how is information stored. I have tried looking the topic up and read about the strengthening of synapses. However, what is the low level mechanism for storing information? There has to be some "state" of the cell that can be processed. </p>

<p>By the way, so what is the physical mechanism behind each type of memory. </p>

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2015-11-18T14:55:31.250Z
Haha, if we knew this, we'd be done.
honi
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2015-11-18T15:07:59.140Z
try http://cogsci.stackexchange.com/questions/5772/what-are-the-mathematical-models-of-memory
honi
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-18T16:57:57.937Z
As much as I know, still it's not found what "form" memory is materially, like, is it a liquid, neurons, or anything else. It's all still just an idea.
And I don't understand the rest of what you inquire 
Baka reader
<memory><long-term-memory><working-memory><semantic-memory><procedural-memory>
How is information stored in the brain
Halbort
# How is information stored in the brain

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-11-18)

I believe information in computer is physically stored as a lattice of "boxes". Each box is either magnetized or de-magnetized. The computer reads this to retrieve and consolidate useful information.

My question is at the cellular level, how is information stored. I have tried looking the topic up and read about the strengthening of synapses. However, what is the low level mechanism for storing information? There has to be some "state" of the cell that can be processed.

By the way, so what is the physical mechanism behind each type of memory.

**Tags:** memory, long-term-memory, working-memory, semantic-memory, procedural-memory

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Haha, if we knew this, we'd be done.  
> **username_1**: try http://cogsci.stackexchange.com/questions/5772/what-are-the-mathematical-models-of-memory  
> **username_2**: As much as I know, still it's not found what "form" memory is materially, like, is it a liquid, neurons, or anything else. It's all still just an idea. And I don't understand the rest of what you inquire   

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2015-11-18. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

One hypothesis about the molecular basis of memory is CaMKII  
Nature Reviews Neuroscience 13, 169-182 (March 2012) | doi:10.1038/nrn3192  
Mechanisms of CaMKII action in long-term potentiation  
<http://www.silvalab.com/LMcourse/Lisman2012.pdf>

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: How exactly is information stored in the phosphorylated CaMKII? From that paper, it seems that the only constant is the phosphorylation. How exactly does the phosphorylation store this information if it is only adding a functional group.  
> **username_1**: see [The Stability of a Stochastic CaMKII Switch: Dependence on the Number of Enzyme Molecules and Protein Turnover Miller, Zhabotinsky, Lisman, Wang](http://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.0030107).  In short, once CaMKII is phosphorylated (activated) it can phosphorylate other subunits of the CaMKII dodecomer, leading to a positive feedback loop.  This gives a stable activated state.  Naturally, the totally unactivated state is also stable.  This gives two stable states, activated and unactivated that a pulse of calcium can switch the CaMKII complex between.  
> **username_1**: Just to be clear though, there are many hypotheses, none of which have been fully worked out, and the significance of which are not completely clear.  

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