Using a powerful new sequencing technique researchers have tracked down genes within mice that work towards soothing fear-related memories. These genes are hidden within relatively unknown regions of the mammalian genome we'd written off as 'junk DNA
Researchers found a class of these genes, which they've called eRNAs, expressed in the mice's infralimbic prefrontal cortex are involved in linking our experiences to regulation of gene expression.
One gene, dubbed ADRAM , appears to work both as a scaffold that allows other molecules access to a gene for its expression and to coordinate other molecules, including eRNAs, that express a gene which helps dull fears. When the expression of ADRAM was knocked out in the mice before they were deconditioned of their fear, they showed no difference within their fear downregulation training sessions compared to the controls.However, the knockout mice later remained fearful – suggesting their fear extinction memory was impaired. Their other fear and anxiety behaviors remained normal.
"These data demonstrate that the effect of [the gene knockouts] on fear extinction is due to its influence on cognition rather than on non-specific physiological indicators of generalized anxiety," the researchersThe team cautions that they do not yet know if ADRAM plays a more extensive role in learning and this study only found these specific effects within male mice.
"Our findings suggest that long non-coding RNAs provide a bridge, linking dynamic environmental signals with the mechanisms that control the way our brains respond to fear," Bredy"With this new understanding of gene activity, we can now work towards developing tools to selectively target long non-coding RNAs in the brain that directly modify memory and hopefully, develop a new therapy for PTSD and phobia.
France Dernières Nouvelles, France Actualités
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