ScienceDaily -- When you experience a new event, your brain encodes a memory of it by altering the connections between neurons. This requires turning on many genes in those neurons. Now, MIT neuroscientists have identified what may be a master gene that controls this complex process.
The findings, described in the Dec. 23 issue of Science, not only reveal some of the molecular underpinnings of memory formation -- they may also help neuroscientists pinpoint the exact locations of memories in the brain.
The research team, led by Yingxi Lin, a member of the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT, focused on the Npas4 gene, which previous studies have shown is turned on immediately following new experiences. The gene is particularly active in the hippocampus, a brain structure known to be critical in forming long-term memories.
MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120106164919.htm
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