title: DNA methylation changes in plasticity genes accompany the formation and maintenance of memory.
abstract: The ability to form memories is a prerequisite for an organism's behavioral adaptation to environmental changes. At the molecular level, the acquisition and maintenance of memory requires changes in chromatin modifications. In an effort to unravel the epigenetic network underlying both short- and long-term memory, we examined chromatin modification changes in two distinct mouse brain regions, two cell types and three time points before and after contextual learning. We found that histone modifications predominantly changed during memory acquisition and correlated surprisingly little with changes in gene expression. Although long-lasting changes were almost exclusive to neurons, learning-related histone modification and DNA methylation changes also occurred in non-neuronal cell types, suggesting a functional role for non-neuronal cells in epigenetic learning. Finally, our data provide evidence for a molecular framework of memory acquisition and maintenance, wherein DNA methylation could alter the expression and splicing of genes involved in functional plasticity and synaptic wiring.
authors.affiliation: Research Group for Epigenetic Mechanisms in Dementia, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Rashi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Halder
authors.affiliation: Research Group for Computational Systems Biology, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Magali
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hennion
authors.affiliation: Research Group for Computational Systems Biology, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Ramon O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Vidal
authors.affiliation: Research Group for Computational Systems Biology, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Orr
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Shomroni
authors.affiliation: Research Group for Computational Systems Biology, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Raza-Ur
authors.initials: RU
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.affiliation: Research Group for Computational Systems Biology, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Ashish
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rajput
authors.affiliation: Research Group for Computational Systems Biology, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Tonatiuh Pena
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Centeno
authors.affiliation: German Center of Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Frauke
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: van Bebber
authors.affiliation: Research Group for Computational Systems Biology, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Capece
authors.affiliation: Research Group for Computational Systems Biology, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Julio C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Garcia Vizcaino
authors.affiliation: Research Group for Computational Systems Biology, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Anna-Lena
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Schuetz
authors.affiliation: Research Group for Epigenetic Mechanisms in Dementia, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Burkhardt
authors.affiliation: Research Group for Epigenetic Mechanisms in Dementia, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Benito
authors.affiliation: Research Group for Epigenetic Mechanisms in Dementia, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Navarro Sala
authors.affiliation: Research Group for Epigenetic Mechanisms in Dementia, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Sanaz Bahari
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Javan
authors.affiliation: German Center of Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany.|Biomedical Center, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Munich, Germany.|Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Haass
authors.affiliation: German Center of Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany.|Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Bettina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.affiliation: Research Group for Epigenetic Mechanisms in Dementia, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Göttingen, Germany.|Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Andre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.affiliation: Research Group for Computational Systems Biology, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bonn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D056547:CA1 Region, Hippocampal / Q000378:metabolism*; D002843:Chromatin / Q000737:chemistry*; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005239:Fear; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000378:metabolism*; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D057567:Memory, Long-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D006657:Histones