Silent information regulator 1 mediates hippocampal plasticity through presenilin1

Silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) is a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)-dependent deacetylase directly implicated in protecting a wide range of organisms against internal and external metabolic insults. However, the identification of SIRT1-specific DNA targets that confer such protection have remained elusive. Using human cells, we show that SIRT1 binds to, and transcriptionally regulates, a gene locus encoding presenilin1 (PSEN1), a protein intrinsically involved in the function of the γ-secretase protein complex. We also demonstrate that rats fed with resveratrol exhibit a significant increase in sirt1 and psen1 expression. Finally, dietary consumption of resveratrol also leads to an enhanced proliferative state of neuronal stem cells in the rat hippocampus. Our findings reveal a strong link between resveratrol-dependent SIRT1 signaling and hippocampal plasticity in the mammalian brain.