The Role of Dynamic Histone Modifications in Learning Behavior.

Epigenetic mechanisms have been linked to memory formation under physiological and pathological conditions. Therapeutic strategies that target the epigenetic machinery have been successfully used in preclinical studies investigating cognitive phenotypes linked to neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases. This chapter will specifically discuss the role of histone modification in the adult brain with a focus on learning and memory processes in the healthy and diseased brain. Data on dynamic changes in histone modification during memory processes as well as the most current knowledge on the corresponding enzymatic machinery in the adult brain will be summarized and discussed in the context of potential therapeutic opportunities to treat brain diseases.