División de Neurociencias, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, A.P. 70-253, México, DF 04510, Mexico.
Neurobiol Learn Mem. 2014 Mar;109:207-16. doi: 10.1016/j.nlm.2014.01.001. Epub 2014 Jan 7.
For a long time, the insular cortex (IC) has been related with taste physiology and taste memory processes in animal studies. Recently, the role of the IC has been highlighted by findings involving the IC in non-taste memory formation in both human and animal studies. Recognition memory is based on the ability to assess the familiarity of a previously encountered stimulus, and it is considered a form of declarative memory. In this work, I am proposing that the IC and its related circuitry are highly involved in the conversion of novel to familiar stimulus for both object and taste recognition memory. In addition, I will review some of the molecular mechanisms involved in the modification of novelty to familiarity memory processes, including the role of epigenetic mechanisms on the consolidation of recognition memory within the IC. In the second part of the paper, I will review some of the possible mechanisms to transform a novel taste into a familiar aversive taste by a functional interaction between the IC and the amygdala. In summary, the IC is an important area that will open a new avenue for the study of the mechanisms involved in the neurobiology of learning and memory in the near future.
长期以来，岛叶皮层（IC）一直与动物研究中的味觉生理学和味觉记忆过程有关。最近，IC 在人类和动物研究中参与非味觉记忆形成的发现强调了 IC 的作用。识别记忆基于评估先前遇到的刺激熟悉程度的能力，被认为是一种陈述性记忆。在这项工作中，我提出 IC 及其相关回路高度参与了物体和味觉识别记忆中新刺激到熟悉刺激的转换。此外，我将回顾一些涉及新颖性到熟悉记忆过程的分子机制，包括表观遗传机制在 IC 内识别记忆巩固中的作用。在论文的第二部分，我将回顾一些可能的机制，通过 IC 和杏仁核之间的功能相互作用，将新的味觉转化为熟悉的厌恶味觉。总之，IC 是一个重要的领域，它将为未来研究学习和记忆的神经生物学机制开辟新途径。
