Role of Histone Methylation in Cognition and Effects of Different Durations of Environmental Enrichment on Learning and Memory

Part 1 Formation of stable long-term memories requires novel gene expression, and chromatin modifications have been shown to be involved in mediating the de novo gene expression which is necessary for memory formation. Although the role of histone acetylation and different histone deacetylases (HDACs) and histone acetyltransferases (HATs) in learning and memory has been studied quite extensively, the knowledge concerning the role of histone methylation – another important histone modification – in learning and memory is lacking. I have characterized the transgenic mouse line in which the Mll2 gene is conditionally knocked down at adult stage in the forebrain excitatory neurons by the Cre-LoxP system, with Cre recombinase being expressed under CamKII promoter in order to ensure recombination specifically in forebrain glutamatergic neurons knock-out mice being denoted as “F/F CKI