Deciphering the cell type-specific gene regulatory network of learning

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Stefan Bonn
• Subject Area: Molecular Biology and Physiology of Neurons and Glial Cells
• Term: from 2014 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 261639244

There is an emergent understanding that the cellular correlate of memory might be encoded in alterations of the epigenetic state, regulated by the interplay of transcription factors (TFs), chromatin modifiers and remodeling complexes. Despite evidence for the involvement of chromatin modifications in learning and memory processes and the etiology of several cognitive disorders, it is clear that we are currently only looking at the tip of the iceberg, as the gene regulatory network of something as fundamental as learning and memory is still far from being elucidated. We are using state of the art wet- and drylab technologies to get a first, cell type-specific picture of the dynamic gene regulatory network underlying short- and long-term memory formation in vivo. Our group is using cell type-specific ChIP-seq (BiTS-ChIP) to elucidate how the concerted action of transcription factors and chromatin modifiers regulate the epigenetic state of genes and their regulatory elements that are responsible for the formation of memory, and how this changes in senile dementia or disease.Detailed information on enhancer, promoter, and gene usage in specific brain areas and cell types will grant unprecedented insights into the regulatory state underlying learning and memory and its changes in aging and disease. Taken together, the results should permit detailed insights into disease etiology and highlight potential targets for disease prevention or intervention.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants