持久轉錄程序與遠程記憶相關

持久轉錄程序與遠程記憶相關

作者：

小柯機器人

發布時間：2020/11/14 23:32:53

美國史丹福大學Thomas C. Sdhof和Stephen R. Quake團隊合作取得一項新成果。他們探明了持久的轉錄程序與遠程記憶相關。這一研究成果發表在2020年11月11日出版的國際學術期刊《自然》雜誌上。

他們使用長期環境恐懼記憶作為範式來雜交在前額內側皮層中遠程記憶存儲基礎的單細胞基因表達格局。他們發現在恐懼學習後持續數周的各種神經元中存在持續活動特異性轉錄改變。在廣闊的可塑性編碼空間中，他們鑑定了與膜融合相關的基因，這些基因可能在維持遠程記憶中起重要作用。

出乎意料的是，星形膠質細胞和小膠質細胞也獲得了與遠程記憶相關的持久基因表達特徵，表明它們積極地參與了記憶迴路。與遠程記憶印記相關的基因表達程序的發現為現有的腦分類法圖譜增加了依賴於活動的細胞狀態之重要意義，並闡明了遠程記憶存儲的微妙機制。

據悉，基因表達在學習和短期記憶中的作用已被廣泛研究，但對遠程記憶的了解卻很少，這種記憶可以持續一生。

附：英文原文

Title: Persistent transcriptional programmes are associated with remote memory

Author: Michelle B. Chen, Xian Jiang, Stephen R. Quake, Thomas C. Sdhof

Issue&Volume: 2020-11-11

Abstract: The role of gene expression during learning and in short-term memories has been studied extensively1–3, but less is known about remote memories, which can persist for a lifetime4. Here we used long-term contextual fear memory as a paradigm to probe the single-cell gene expression landscape that underlies remote memory storage in the medial prefrontal cortex. We found persistent activity-specific transcriptional alterations in diverse populations of neurons that lasted for weeks after fear learning. Out of a vast plasticity-coding space, we identified genes associated with membrane fusion that could have important roles in the maintenance of remote memory. Unexpectedly, astrocytes and microglia also acquired persistent gene expression signatures that were associated with remote memory, suggesting that they actively contribute to memory circuits. The discovery of gene expression programmes associated with remote memory engrams adds an important dimension of activity-dependent cellular states to existing brain taxonomy atlases and sheds light on the elusive mechanisms of remote memory storage. The authors identify long-lasting transcriptional programmes in neurons and glia that are associated with the storage of a remote memory.

DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2905-5

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2905-5