Logo image
From Circuits to Chromatin: The Emerging Role of Epigenetics in Mental Health
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

From Circuits to Chromatin: The Emerging Role of Epigenetics in Mental Health

Philipp Mews, Erin S Calipari, Jeremy Day, Mary Kay Lobo, Timothy Bredy and Ted Abel
The Journal of neuroscience, Vol.41(5), pp.873-882
02/03/2021
DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1649-20.2020
PMCID: PMC7880276
PMID: 33446519
url
https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1649-20.2020View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

A central goal of neuroscience research is to understand how experiences modify brain circuits to guide future adaptive behavior. In response to environmental stimuli, neural circuit activity engages gene regulatory mechanisms within each cell. This activity-dependent gene expression is governed, in part, by epigenetic processes that can produce persistent changes in both neural circuits and the epigenome itself. The complex interplay between circuit activity and neuronal gene regulation is vital to learning and memory, and, when disrupted, is linked to debilitating psychiatric conditions, such as substance use disorder. To develop clinical treatments, it is paramount to advance our understanding of how neural circuits and the epigenome cooperate to produce behavioral adaptation. Here, we discuss how new genetic tools, used to manipulate neural circuits and chromatin, have enabled the discovery of epigenetic processes that bring about long-lasting changes in behavior relevant to mental health and disease.
Brain - metabolism Epigenesis, Genetic - physiology Chromatin - metabolism Substance-Related Disorders - metabolism Animals Mental Health - trends Humans Nerve Net - metabolism Chromatin - genetics Substance-Related Disorders - genetics Memory - physiology

Details

Metrics

Logo image