Have you ever wondered how long term memories form? Well there have been recent studies that show certain repressor genes are being distinguished at certain times after memory formation, which helps form memories. Sometimes remembering certain memories are hard to recall. It would be great if we could remember memories for long periods of time. Remembering memories all beings with memory formation, which consists of encoding, storing, and recalling information. Specifically the storing of the memory formation uses gene regulation, which will determine the productivity of gene products.  The use of gene regulation and Therefore, in order to gain a better understanding of how long term memories are created through the help of genes the scientist, Jun Cho Et Al, has created an experiment based on the hippocampuses of mice.

       Jun Cho Et Al specified the ribosome profiling and RNA sequencing of the mice’s hippocampi and he was able to do so by electrically shocking the mice. The small electrical shock made sure the mice associated the electrical shock with the setting. The mice were influenced by the fear of the electrical shock. When the scientists looked into the genes of the mice that were acting differently due to the electrical shock they found that half of the genes were being repressed. The repression was specifically caused by the protein,ESR1. However, once the ESR1 played a role there was a problem of the mice losing the ability to learn from the original fear of the electrical shock. After the ESR1 played a role immediately the gene, Nrsn1, acted as a memory suppressor. If the gene Nrsn1 is initiated too much then the ability to form memories will become very hard.

       Overall, the use of repressive genes could help us form long term memories. However, the problem of everything becoming long term knowledge is that we do not know how our brain will react. There is the possibility that the brain will eventually not be able to withhold all of the long term information. Do you think our brains would be able to withhold all of the information? Scientists have hypothesized that it is impossible for our brains to hold that much information and eventually our brains would turn into slop. 

ESR1

 

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Original Source:http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/10/151001165033.htm

Other Sources:

  1. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-10-role-genes-memory-retention.html
  2. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/300383.php
  3. http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/44145/title/Genetic-Repression-Boosts-Memory/