A hypothesis about interrelations of epigenetic factors and transposable elements in memory formation

Bibliographic Details
Title: A hypothesis about interrelations of epigenetic factors and transposable elements in memory formation
Authors: R. N. Mustafin
Source: Вавиловский журнал генетики и селекции, Vol 28, Iss 5, Pp 476-486 (2024)
Publisher Information: Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, The Vavilov Society of Geneticists and Breeders, 2024.
Publication Year: 2024
Collection: LCC:Genetics
Subject Terms: long noncoding rnas, long-term memory, mirnas, retroelements, transposons, epigenetic factors, Genetics, QH426-470
More Details: The review describes the hypothesis that the drivers of epigenetic regulation in memory formation are transposable elements that influence the expression of specific genes in the brain. The hypothesis is confirmed by research into transposon activation in neuronal stem cells during neuronal differentiation. These changes occur in the hippocampus dentate gyrus, where a pronounced activity of transposons and their insertion near neuron-specific genes have been detected. In experiments on changing the activity of histone acetyltransferase and inhibition of DNA methyltransferase and reverse transcriptase, the involvement of epigenetic factors and retroelements in the mechanisms of memory formation has been shown. Also, a number of studies on different animals have revealed the preservation of long-term memory without the participation of synaptic plasticity. The data obtained suggest that transposons, which are genome sensors highly sensitive to various environmental and internal influences, form memory at the nuclear coding level. Therefore, long-term memory is preserved after elimination of synaptic connections. This is confirmed by the fact that the proteins involved in memory formation, including the transfer of genetic information through synapses between neurons (Arc protein), originate from transposons. Long non-coding RNAs and microRNAs also originate from transposons; their role in memory consolidation has been described. Pathological activation of transposable elements is a likely cause of neurodegenerative diseases with memory impairment. Analysis of the scientific literature allowed us to identify changes in the expression of 40 microRNAs derived from transposons in Alzheimer’s disease. For 24 of these microRNAs, the mechanisms of regulation of genes involved in the functioning of the brain have been described. It has been suggested that the microRNAs we identified could become potential tools for regulating transposon activity in the brain in order to improve memory.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
Russian
ISSN: 2500-3259
Relation: https://vavilov.elpub.ru/jour/article/view/4229; https://doaj.org/toc/2500-3259
DOI: 10.18699/vjgb-24-54
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/916270216a8741cd93f9072f314461de
Accession Number: edsdoj.916270216a8741cd93f9072f314461de
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
More Details
ISSN:25003259
DOI:10.18699/vjgb-24-54
Published in:Вавиловский журнал генетики и селекции
Language:English
Russian