Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 12, 2026
09:43
Purification of H3 and H4 Histone Proteins and the Quantification of Acetylated Histone Marks in Cells and Brain Tissue
Published on: November 30, 2018
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Manipulating Engram Histone Acetylation Alters Memory Consolidation
Lisa Watt1, Liliane Glauser1, Davide M Coda1
1Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
Hippocampus
|November 3, 2025
Summary
Histone acetylation, an epigenetic modification, is crucial for brain plasticity, learning, and memory. This study demonstrates that manipulating histone acetylation in memory-forming neurons directly impacts fear memory recall, highlighting its role in memory expression.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Epigenetics
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- The epigenome regulates gene expression and is vital for brain plasticity, learning, and memory.
- Histone acetylation is an epigenetic modification linked to learning and memory, but its role in specific neuronal populations is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of whole-genome histone acetylation in memory-bearing neuronal ensembles.
- To determine the functional relationship between histone acetylation and memory expression in engram cells.
Main Methods:
- Developed a genetic approach to manipulate whole-genome histone acetylation.
- Targeted manipulation in memory-bearing neuronal ensembles (engram cells).
Main Results:
- Increased histone acetylation promoted fear memory recall.
- Downregulation of histone acetylation impaired fear memory recall.
- Established a functional link between histone acetylation and memory expression in specific neuronal populations.
Conclusions:
- Histone acetylation in memory-bearing engram cells is functionally important for memory expression.
- Epigenetic modifications, specifically histone acetylation, represent a key mechanism for nucleus-templated brain plasticity underlying learning and memory.
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