Toward understanding the role of the neuron-specific BAF chromatin remodeling complex in memory formation

The long-term storage of memory requires the finely tuned coordination of intracellular signaling with the transcriptional, translational and epigenetic regulations of gene expression. Among the epigenetic mechanisms, however, we know relatively little about the involvement of chromatin remodeling-dependent control of gene expression in cognitive brain functions, compared with our knowledge of other such mechanisms (for example, histone modifications and DNA methylation). A few recent studies have implicated the Brm/Brg-associated factor (BAF) chromatin-remodeling complex, a mammalian homolog of the yeast Swi/Snf complex, in neuronal structural/functional plasticity and memory formation. The BAF complex was previously known to have a critical role in neurodevelopment, but these recent findings indicate that it also contributes to both cognitive functions in the adult brain and human mental disorders characterized by intellectual disability. In this review, we provide a brief overview of the BAF complexes, introduce recent research findings that link their functions to memory formation, and speculate on the yet-unknown molecular mechanisms that may be relevant to these processes.