Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 30, 2026
10:28
Reusable Single Cell for Iterative Epigenomic Analyses
Published on: February 11, 2022
1.7K
How the epigenome integrates information and reshapes the synapse.
Rianne R Campbell1, Marcelo A Wood2
1Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, Center for Addiction Neuroscience, Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.
Nature Reviews. Neuroscience
|January 31, 2019
Summary
Neuroepigenetics explores how the brain forms memories through epigenetic mechanisms like histone modification and DNA methylation. These processes alter gene expression, impacting neuronal function and behavior for long-term memory storage.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Epigenetics
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Neuroepigenetics investigates the brain's mechanisms for encoding information into long-lasting memories and stable behavioral changes.
- Activity-dependent molecular processes dynamically regulate gene expression essential for memory formation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide an overview of key epigenetic mechanisms crucial for memory formation.
- To explore how epigenetic mechanisms integrate learning experiences at chromatin and synaptic levels.
- To highlight the role of epigenetic manipulation in advancing memory research.
Main Methods:
- Review of established epigenetic mechanisms (histone modification, DNA methylation, nucleosome remodeling).
- Analysis of studies integrating learning, chromatin structure, and synaptic physiology.
- Exploration of research on manipulating epigenetic mechanisms for memory enhancement.
Main Results:
- Epigenetic mechanisms dynamically regulate gene expression for memory encoding.
- Learning experiences are integrated at both chromatin structure and synaptic physiology levels.
- Stable alterations in neuronal function arise from epigenetic modifications of synaptic structure and function.
Conclusions:
- Epigenetic mechanisms are fundamental to the formation of long-lasting memories.
- Understanding neuroepigenetics offers insights into how experiences shape neuronal function and behavior.
- Targeting epigenetic pathways holds potential for modulating memory capacity and function.
Related Concept Videos
02:47The Synapse
133.1K
Neurons communicate with one another by passing on their electrical signals to other neurons. A synapse is the location where two neurons meet to exchange signals. At the synapse, the neuron that sends the signal is called the presynaptic cell, while the neuron that receives the message is called the postsynaptic cell. Note that most neurons can be both presynaptic and postsynaptic, as they both transmit and receive information.
133.1K
01:28Electrical Synapses
10.6K
Electrical synapses found in all nervous systems play important and unique roles. In these synapses, the presynaptic and postsynaptic membranes are very close together (3.5 nm) and are actually physically connected by channel proteins forming gap junctions.
Gap junctions allow the current to pass directly from one cell to the next. In contrast, in the chemical synapse, the neurotransmitters carry the information through the synaptic cleft from one neuron to the next. They consist of two...
Gap junctions allow the current to pass directly from one cell to the next. In contrast, in the chemical synapse, the neurotransmitters carry the information through the synaptic cleft from one neuron to the next. They consist of two...
10.6K
01:26Chemical Synapses
11.5K
Chemical synapses are specialized sites between two neurons or between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell like a muscle, glandular or sensory cell.
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
11.5K
01:26Chemical Synapses
4.6K
Chemical synapses are specialized sites between two neurons or between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell like a muscle, glandular or sensory cell.
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
4.6K
01:25Overview of Synapses
5.2K
A synapse is a specialized structure where two neurons connect, allowing them to pass an electrical or chemical signal to another neuron. It is the point of communication between neurons. The term "synapse" is derived from the Greek word "synapsis," which means "conjunction." The entire process of neural communication revolves around the synapse. When activated, a neuron releases chemicals known as neurotransmitters into the synapse. These neurotransmitters cross the synapse and bind to...
5.2K
01:26Integration by Parts: Indefinite Integrals
165
Integration by parts is a fundamental technique in calculus for evaluating integrals involving the product of two functions. It is particularly useful when direct integration is not feasible. The method is based on the product rule for differentiation, which states that the derivative of a product equals the derivative of the first function times the second, plus the first function times the derivative of the second. By integrating this identity and rearranging terms, the integration by parts...
165