UC Irvine neurologists report finding a way to help old and damaged brains form lasting memories

UC Irvine neurologists say they’ve found a way to help old and damaged brains form long-term memories by unlocking a repressed gene.

Marcelo Wood, UCI’s Francisco J. Ayala chair in neurobiology and behavior, presented his team’s findings this month in Austin, Texas, at the annual meeting of the American Assn. for the Advancement of Science.

In a young brain, a gene called Period1 functions normally and allows for long-term memory formation. In an old brain, Wood said, DNA is more compressed, which represses the gene and blocks neurons from communicating better to form long-term memory.

In most young brains, those genes are easily turned on, Wood said. But it gets harder to do as brains get older because six feet of DNA is compacted into a microscopic nucleus in a cell.

The tighter it’s wrapped, the harder it is to access genes that help with memory, he said.

Wood gave an example of trying to access an owner’s manual stored in the glove compartment of a car that has been smashed into a cube.

Wood and his team discovered that a molecular brake pad called histone deacetylase 3, or HDAC3, has become “overeager” in the aged brain and is compacting material too hard, blocking the release of Period1, according to a UCI news release.

Removing the brake pad and allowing access to Period1 can allow for new memory formation.

Wood and his team have been researching how the brain functions for more than 12 years but only recently have looked into how Period1 functions.

Their discovery has given “tremendous insight” into the basic functions of the brain, Wood said.

The team will begin looking into whether the discovery also applies to people with Alzheimer’s disease and will begin collaborating with companies to begin drug development.

Priscella.Vega@latimes.com

Twitter: @vegapriscella