DNA damage to the brain and repair benefit to build long-term memories, a brand new American study that was conducted on adult mice discovered.
The peer-reviewed study, which was conducted by researchers from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York and published in the journal Nature on the 27th of March studies that show that when memory is formed for long-term it is when some neurons within the brain receive such powerful electrical impulses that their DNA breaks and snaps. The immune system triggers a response, which causes inflammation and then repair of the damage that has occurred to build long-term memory, as the study suggests.
The Role of DNA Damage in Memory Formation
This is the first time that DNA damage is directly connected with memory development. Typically, DNA damages and breakage is linked to various ailments in the body. However, damage to DNA inside the brain been linked to learning processes.
To better understand the role played by DNA damage during memory formation The research team taught adults to become scared of certain environments by giving them tiny electric shocks. The training eventually led to an anxiety response once the mice were exposed the environment. Through analyzing the activity of genes in the hippocampus, a brain region that is essential to memories — the researchers observed that, four days after the electrical shocks, the those genes that cause inflammation became active in a particular group of neurons. After three to four weeks the amount of genes that cause inflammation had diminished which indicates that the DNA strands were repaired and memories lasting for a long time from the shocks had created.
Significance for Neurodegenerative Diseases
The research findings provide important insights into the neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s, which are characterized by the growth of neuronal protein accumulation. The research suggests that the DNA damage system and repair fails in these disorders, leading to accumulation of errors in the brain. In identifying that the TLR9 protein as an essential factor in the activation of the immune response to DNA fragments this study demonstrated that the removal of the protein in genetically modified mice led to impaired memory development, as evidenced by the diminished anxiety response to shock-producing environment.
Unanswered Questions and Future Research
An unexpected discovery was the central role played by centrosomes, which are cellular structures that are known to aid in cell division, but also in DNA repair. Because adult neurons don’t generally go through the process of cell division (mitosis) scientists are unsure of the role of centrosomes in this respect. This discovery opens new research possibilities and raises questions about how DNA breaks happen and if this repair process occurs in other brain regions besides the hippocampus.
Conclusion
This ground-breaking study from The Albert Einstein College of Medicine gives a new understanding of the brain’s processes to create long-term memory. In revealing the crucial function of DNA damage and repair in the formation of memories The research does not just improve our understanding of cognitive processes, but provides potential avenues for dealing with neurodegenerative diseases. As scientists continue to study these findings, we are moving closer to unravelling the intricate nature of brain and memory function.