Gao, Y. et al Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1903763116 (2019)

The process of forgetting is not always passive; it can be more intentional, involving an orchestrated erasure of memories. Previous studies in Drosophila have shown that Rac1 and Cdc42, two Rho GTPases that coordinate actin remodeling, mediate the forgetting of labile (anesthesia-sensitive memory) and consolidated (anesthesia-resistant memory) memories, respectively. Now, a study using multiple transgenic flies reveals that the effects of Rac1 and Cdc42 in mushroom body neurons are mediated by two different actin-polymerization pathways. These findings increase our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that link forgetting to actin remodeling and might contribute to the development of new drugs to treat human brain disorders that alter active forgetting mechanisms.