National Institute of Mental Health 5R01MH065635-25

Gene Expression in Long-Term Memory

NIH awarded a research grant to New York University to study the molecular mechanisms of long-term memory formation focusing on the IGF-2/IGF-2R system in the hippocampus, aiming to understand memory consolidation and related disorders.

Description

This project will employ state-of-the-art molecular, biochemical, and genetic techniques in mice to identify the cell types and mechanisms that regulate and functionally recruit the IGF-2/IGF-2R system in the hippocampus to form long-term memory. It will test the hypotheses that IGF-2 released by specific cell types, such as pericytes, activates IGF-2R expressed by target cells, such as neurons, to regulate, via vesicle trafficking, de novo translation induced by learning and its coupling to autophagy, a fundamental molecular node that controls plasticity changes essential for memory formation. Targeting this novel mechanism should provide important insights for treating disorders associated with memory impairment.

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