[Aug. 1] 113th IRCMS Seminar

July 1 2024

We would like to inform you that the 113th IRCMS seminar has been scheduled as below.
* This IRCMS seminar is open to everyone.

Date      : August 1, 2024 (Thursday)

Time      : 16:00-17:00

ZOOM　: Meeting ID: 930 0655 3620
            　 Passcode: 113SemAug1

Speaker : Dr. Taro Kitazawa (Aarhus University)

Title        : RECORDING CELLULAR MEMORY TO UNVEIL THE MECHANISM OF BRAIN MEMORY

Abstract 

There is an emerging view that a sparse ensemble of neurons, termed as memory engram cells, represents the memory substrate. Revealing the molecular basis regulating memory engram formation is a fundamental topic for contemporary neurobiologists. Recent advancement of single-cell sequencing technologies, such as scRNA-seq, has revealed that neurons belonging to the same engram ensemble, which encodes a specific memory, consist of diverse subpopulations with unique molecular profiles that correlate with specific functional roles. However, our understanding of the molecular mechanisms regulating the dynamic processes that give rise to the diversity among engram subpopulations is still significantly limited. Existing high-throughput sequencing methods have an inherent limitation that they can primarily provide a static 'snapshot' of molecular states due to the need to lyse cells for nucleic acid extraction, posing a barrier in analyzing cell fate-decision dynamics. Thus, a novel technology for whole-genome history tracing, namely multi-timepoints observation, represents a significant innovation. Here, we report a novel 'time-machine '-like technology for retrospectively tracing the history of epigenetic and transcriptional changes at specific past time points in postmitotic neurons, a concept for which we have recently established a proof of principle. This will enable the analysis of multimodal epigenetic and transcriptional dynamics of over 10,000 genes, as well as more than 100,000 regulatory elements during neuronal fate decisions. We are applying this technology to reveal how heterogeneous subpopulations of engram cells emerge in the mouse brain, with a special focus on their excitability in memory encoding and recall events. Through this approach, we will address how a subpopulation of engram cells becomes functionally relevant during the dynamic procedure of memory formation, representing potential 'real' engram cells.

 Lab HP: https://www.kitazawa-lab.com/

Flyer: (Click to enlarge)