Novel epigenetic control found for critical brain proteins in memory strengthening

Researchers have found a mechanism that links epigenetic changes to translational control during fear memory reconsolidation. They report that several particular epigenetic changes in the hippocampus of the rat brain control downstream regulation of translation in brain neurons, acting through a gene called Pten. The downstream target affected by changes in PTEN enzyme levels is the AKT-mTOR pathway, one of the main translation control pathways involved in memory reconsolidation.