Salk findings uncovers dynamic changes in the epigenome that
occur during brain circuitry formation
Changes in the epigenome, including chemical modifications
of DNA, can act as an extra layer of information in the genome, and are thought
to play a role in learning and memory, as well as in age-related cognitive
decline. The results of a new study by scientists at the Salk Institute for
Biological Studies show that the landscape of DNA methylation, a particular
type of epigenomic modification, is highly dynamic in brain cells during the
transition from birth to adulthood, helping to understand how information in
the genomes of cells in the brain is controlled from fetal development to
adulthood. The brain is much more complex than all other organs in the body and
this discovery opens the door to a deeper understanding of how the intricate
patterns of connectivity in the brain are formed.