Turn off the brake
Deactivating a single RNA will restore memory
Sergey Kolenov, Hi-tech+
Blocking the production of non-coding RNA NEAT1 in old mice returns the name memory and learning ability. Now scientists have to confirm their findings on humans.
Specialists from The University of Alabama at Birmingham studied the work of non-coding NEAT1 RNA in the hippocampus, a brain region associated with learning and memory. According to the press release of A NEAT discovery about memory, NEAT1 serves as a kind of "brake" that limits the activity of the hippocampus, affecting the c-FOS gene.
When the brain receives external stimuli that promote learning, the RNA goes into an inactive state and allows it to accumulate new information.
In an aging brain, the concentration of NEAT1 is higher than in a young one. According to scientists, this is one of the causes of memory deterioration in the elderly.
To test this hypothesis, the researchers turned off NEAT1 production in elderly mice. The treated individuals showed themselves in the tests for learning and memory on a par with young mice. On the contrary, when the concentration of NEAT1 was increased in young mice with the help of gene editing, they began to learn and remember worse.
Experiments have provided convincing evidence that NEAT1 may indeed be one of the main keys to memory formation. In further studies, scientists will check whether the deactivation of this RNA restores memory in humans. They want to test the hypothesis not only on healthy people, but also on patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.
Article by Butler et al. Long noncoding RNA NEAT1 mediates neuronal histone methylation and age-related memory impairment published in the journal Science Signaling – VM.
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