Mai Huong Anh, Thomas Christina M, Nge Gu Gu, Elefant Felice
Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Cells. 2025 Jun 10;14(12):873. doi: 10.3390/cells14120873.
Recent investigations into the neuroepigenome of the brain are providing unparalleled understanding into the impact of post-translational modifications (PTMs) of histones in regulating dynamic gene expression patterns required for adult brain cognitive function and plasticity. Histone acetylation is one of the most well-characterized PTMs shown to be required for neuronal function and cognition. Histone acetylation initiates neural circuitry plasticity via chromatin control, enabling neurons to respond to external environmental stimuli and adapt their transcriptional responses accordingly. While interplay between histone acetylation and deacetylation is critical for these functions, dysregulation during the aging process can lead to significant alterations in the neuroepigenetic landscape. These alterations contribute to impaired cognitive functions, neuronal cell death, and brain atrophy, all hallmarks of age-related neurodegenerative disease. Significantly, while age-related generation of DNA mutations remains irreversible, most neuroepigenetic PTMs are reversible. Thus, manipulation of the neural epigenome is proving to be an effective therapeutic strategy for neuroprotection in multiple types of age-related neurodegenerative disorders (NDs) that include Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Huntington's disease (HD). Here, we highlight recent progress in research focusing on specific HAT-based neuroepigenetic mechanisms that underlie cognition and pathogenesis that is hallmarked in age-related NDs. We further discuss how these findings have potential to be translated into HAT-mediated cognitive-enhancing therapeutics to treat these debilitating disorders.
近期对大脑神经表观基因组的研究,为组蛋白翻译后修饰(PTM)在调节成人大脑认知功能和可塑性所需的动态基因表达模式中的作用,提供了前所未有的理解。组蛋白乙酰化是最具特征的PTM之一,已被证明是神经元功能和认知所必需的。组蛋白乙酰化通过染色质控制启动神经回路可塑性,使神经元能够对外部环境刺激做出反应,并相应地调整其转录反应。虽然组蛋白乙酰化和去乙酰化之间的相互作用对这些功能至关重要,但衰老过程中的失调会导致神经表观遗传格局的显著改变。这些改变会导致认知功能受损、神经元细胞死亡和脑萎缩,这些都是与年龄相关的神经退行性疾病的特征。值得注意的是,虽然与年龄相关的DNA突变的产生是不可逆的,但大多数神经表观遗传PTM是可逆的。因此,对神经表观基因组的操纵已被证明是一种有效的治疗策略,可用于多种与年龄相关的神经退行性疾病(ND)的神经保护,包括阿尔茨海默病(AD)、帕金森病(PD)、肌萎缩侧索硬化症(ALS)和亨廷顿舞蹈病(HD)。在这里,我们重点介绍了最近的研究进展,这些研究聚焦于基于特定组蛋白乙酰转移酶(HAT)的神经表观遗传机制,这些机制是与年龄相关的ND中认知和发病机制的基础。我们还进一步讨论了这些发现如何有可能转化为HAT介导的认知增强疗法,以治疗这些使人衰弱的疾病。
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