Elucidation of the molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal morphology and function

Memory formation and behavioral events reflect the integration of several information in the nervous system, which receives a variety of signals from environmental stimuli. The memory consolidation is well established by repetitive training, suggesting that the brain is influenced by environment and experiences. At the cellular level, neurons, the basic units of the brain, are also influenced by extracellular stimuli and the signals propagate from the cytoplasm into a nucleus where gene expression are eventually regulated. Therefore, regulation of gene expression is very ideal for explanation of the long-lasting change in neuronal properties. The long-term change in gene expression is required for memory consolidation and maintenance.
Our laboratory speculates that the regulation of gene expression in neurons is an initial, but critical process of the “memory” and the dysregulation of this process is a causative of neurological disorders. Thus, we aim at elucidating the molecular mechanism by which gene expression is regulated via extracellular stimuli, which triggers neuronal activity.