From cellular to fear memory: An epigenetic toolbox to remember

Curr Opin Neurobiol. 2023 Dec 20;84:102829. doi: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102829. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTThroughout development, the neuronal epigenome is highly sensitive to external stimuli, yet capable of safeguarding cellular memory for a lifetime. In the adult brain, memories of fearful experiences are rapidly instantiated, yet can last for decades, but the mechanisms underlying such longevity remain unknown. Here, we showcase how fear memory formation and storage - traditionally thought to exclusively affect synapse-based events - elicit profound and enduring changes to the chromatin, proposing epigenetic regulation as a plausible molecular template for mnemonic processes. By comparing these to mechanisms occurring in development and differentiation, we notice that an epigenetic machinery similar to that preserving cellular memories might be employed by brain cells so as to form, store, and retrieve behavioral memories.PMID:38128422 | DOI:10.1016/j.conb.2023.102829

Source: Current Opinion in Neurobiology - December 21, 2023 Category: Neurology Authors: Davide Martino Coda Johannes Gr äff Source Type: research