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Epigenetics and Memory

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Novel Mechanisms of Memory

Abstract

Interest in the role of ‘epigenetic’ modifications in learning and memory processes has escalated rapidly in recent years, due, in part, to the promise of answering long-standing basic science questions about how memories are acquired, stored and maintained over time in the brain. Epigenetic mechanisms, including modifications of chromatin structure and DNA methylation, have long been studied in the context of developmental biology. Recent studies, however, have shown that many of these same mechanisms are conserved in the adult nervous system, where they continue to influence gene expression in the context of long-lasting behavioral change. Within the field of memory research, it has recently been suggested that environmentally-driven alterations in epigenetic processes may represent an ideal candidate mechanism for long-term memory storage and maintenance. In this chapter, I review the role of both chromatin modifications and DNA methylation in several different forms of mammalian memory and associated synaptic plasticity, including a discussion of their involvement in distinct memory-related processes such as consolidation, reconsolidation and extinction. The study of epigenetics in the context of memory holds potential promise for the treatment of neurological conditions that are characterized by memory impairment, as well as psychological conditions such as drug addiction and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that are characterized by persistent unwanted memories.

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  1. Department of Psychology, Hunter College and The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, 695 Park Avenue, HN611, New York, NY, 10065, USA

    Glenn E. Schafe Ph.D.

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  1. Institute of Psychiatry Cellular Basis of Behaviour, King's College London, London, United Kingdom

    Karl Peter Giese

  2. Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland

    Kasia Radwanska

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Schafe, G.E. (2016). Epigenetics and Memory. In: Giese, K., Radwanska, K. (eds) Novel Mechanisms of Memory. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24364-1_8

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