The epigenetics of estrogen: epigenetic regulation of hormone-induced memory enhancement. Epigenetics 2011 Jun;6(6):675-80
Date
05/20/2011Pubmed ID
21593594Pubmed Central ID
PMC5360196DOI
10.4161/epi.6.6.16177Scopus ID
2-s2.0-79958742855 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 30 CitationsAbstract
Epigenetic processes have been implicated in everything from cell proliferation to maternal behavior. Epigenetic alterations, including histone alterations and DNA methylation, have also been shown to play critical roles in the formation of some types of memory, and in the modulatory effects that factors, such as stress, drugs of abuse and environmental stimulation, have on the brain and memory function. Recently, we demonstrated that the ability of the sex-steroid hormone 17β-estradiol (E(2)) to enhance memory formation is dependent on histone acetylation and DNA methylation, a finding that has important implications for understanding how hormones influence cognition in adulthood and aging. In this article, we provide an overview of the literature demonstrating that epigenetic processes and E(2) influence memory, describe our findings indicating that epigenetic alterations regulate E(2)-induced memory enhancement, and discuss directions for future work on the epigenetics of estrogen.
Author List
Frick KM, Zhao Z, Fan LAuthor
Karyn Frick BA,MA,PhD Professor in the Psychology department at University of Wisconsin - MilwaukeeMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AnimalsEpigenesis, Genetic
Estradiol
Estrogens
Memory