Project description:Metabolic production of acetyl-CoA has been linked to histone acetylation and gene regulation, however the mechanisms are largely unknown. We show that the metabolic enzyme acetyl-CoA synthetase 2 (ACSS2) is a critical and direct regulator of histone acetylation in neurons and of long-term mammalian memory. We observe increased nuclear ACSS2 in differentiating neurons in vitro. Genome-wide, ACSS2 binding corresponds with increased histone acetylation and gene expression of key neuronal genes. These data indicate that ACSS2 functions as a chromatin-bound co-activator to increase local concentrations of acetyl-CoA and to locally promote histone acetylation for transcription of neuron-specific genes. Remarkably, in vivo attenuation of hippocampal ACSS2 expression in adult mice impairs long-term spatial memory, a cognitive process reliant on histone acetylation. ACSS2 reduction in hippocampus also leads to a defect in upregulation of key neuronal genes involved in memory. These results reveal a unique connection between cellular metabolism and neural plasticity, and establish a link between generation of acetyl-CoA and neuronal chromatin regulation. Global survey of gene expression in CAD cells and differentiated CAD neurons following lentiviral knockdown of ACSS2 or ATP citrate lyase (ACL) (and control = scramble hairpin); survey of hippocampal gene expression changes associated with retrieval of fear memory, after ACSS2-AAV knockdown or in EGFP-AAV control (comparison of 0h vs. 1h post-memory retrieval).
Project description:Metabolic production of acetyl-CoA has been linked to histone acetylation and gene regulation, however the mechanisms are largely unknown. We show that the metabolic enzyme acetyl-CoA synthetase 2 (ACSS2) is a critical and directchum regulator of histone acetylation in neurons and of long-term mammalian memory. We observe increased nuclear ACSS2 in differentiating neurons in vitro. Genome-wide, ACSS2 binding corresponds with increased histone acetylation and gene expression of key neuronal genes. These data indicate that ACSS2 functions as a chromatin-bound co-activator to increase local concentrations of acetyl-CoA and to locally promote histone acetylation for transcription of neuron-specific genes. Remarkably, in vivo attenuation of hippocampal ACSS2 expression in adult mice impairs long-term spatial memory, a cognitive process reliant on histone acetylation. ACSS2 reduction in hippocampus also leads to a defect in upregulation of key neuronal genes involved in memory. These results reveal a unique connection between cellular metabolism and neural plasticity, and establish a link between generation of acetyl-CoA and neuronal chromatin regulation. Genome-wide examination of histone H3 and H4 acetylation, as well as ACSS2 binding, in undifferentiated CAD cells and differentiated CAD neurons; background adjusted by H3 ChIP or Input.
Project description:Metabolic production of acetyl-CoA has been linked to histone acetylation and gene regulation, however the mechanisms are largely unknown. We show that the metabolic enzyme acetyl-CoA synthetase 2 (ACSS2) is a critical and direct regulator of histone acetylation in neurons and of mammalian spatial object memory. We observe increased nuclear ACSS2 in differentiating neurons in vitro. Genome-wide, ACSS2 binding corresponds with increased histone acetylation and gene expression of key neuronal genes. These data indicate that ACSS2 functions as a chromatin-bound co-activator to increase local concentrations of acetyl-CoA and to locally promote histone acetylation for transcription of neuron-specific genes. Remarkably, in vivo attenuation of hippocampal ACSS2 expression in adult mice impairs long-term spatial memory, a cognitive process reliant on histone acetylation. ACSS2 reduction in hippocampus also leads to a defect in upregulation of key neuronal genes involved in memory, and these hippocampal genes are pre-bound by ACSS2. These results reveal a unique connection between cellular metabolism, gene regulation, and neural plasticity, establishing a link between generation of acetyl-CoA “on-site” at chromatin of critical neuronal genes.
Project description:Metabolic production of acetyl-CoA has been linked to histone acetylation and gene regulation, however the mechanisms are largely unknown. We show that the metabolic enzyme acetyl-CoA synthetase 2 (ACSS2) is a critical and direct regulator of histone acetylation in neurons and of mammalian spatial object memory. We observe increased nuclear ACSS2 in differentiating neurons in vitro. Genome-wide, ACSS2 binding corresponds with increased histone acetylation and gene expression of key neuronal genes. These data indicate that ACSS2 functions as a chromatin-bound co-activator to increase local concentrations of acetyl-CoA and to locally promote histone acetylation for transcription of neuron-specific genes. Remarkably, in vivo attenuation of hippocampal ACSS2 expression in adult mice impairs long-term spatial memory, a cognitive process reliant on histone acetylation. ACSS2 reduction in hippocampus also leads to a defect in upregulation of key neuronal genes involved in memory, and these hippocampal genes are pre-bound by ACSS2. These results reveal a unique connection between cellular metabolism, gene regulation, and neural plasticity, establishing a link between generation of acetyl-CoA “on-site” at chromatin of critical neuronal genes.
Project description:Metabolic production of acetyl-CoA has been linked to histone acetylation and gene regulation, however the mechanisms are largely unknown. We show that the metabolic enzyme acetyl-CoA synthetase 2 (ACSS2) is a critical and direct regulator of histone acetylation in neurons and of mammalian spatial object memory. We observe increased nuclear ACSS2 in differentiating neurons in vitro. Genome-wide, ACSS2 binding corresponds with increased histone acetylation and gene expression of key neuronal genes. These data indicate that ACSS2 functions as a chromatin-bound co-activator to increase local concentrations of acetyl-CoA and to locally promote histone acetylation for transcription of neuron-specific genes. Remarkably, in vivo attenuation of hippocampal ACSS2 expression in adult mice impairs long-term spatial memory, a cognitive process reliant on histone acetylation. ACSS2 reduction in hippocampus also leads to a defect in upregulation of key neuronal genes involved in memory, and these hippocampal genes are pre-bound by ACSS2. These results reveal a unique connection between cellular metabolism, gene regulation, and neural plasticity, establishing a link between generation of acetyl-CoA “on-site” at chromatin of critical neuronal genes.
Project description:Metabolic production of acetyl-CoA has been linked to histone acetylation and gene regulation, however the mechanisms are largely unknown. We show that the metabolic enzyme acetyl-CoA synthetase 2 (ACSS2) is a critical and direct regulator of histone acetylation in neurons and of long-term mammalian memory. We observe increased nuclear ACSS2 in differentiating neurons in vitro. Genome-wide, ACSS2 binding corresponds with increased histone acetylation and gene expression of key neuronal genes. These data indicate that ACSS2 functions as a chromatin-bound co-activator to increase local concentrations of acetyl-CoA and to locally promote histone acetylation for transcription of neuron-specific genes. Remarkably, in vivo attenuation of hippocampal ACSS2 expression in adult mice impairs long-term spatial memory, a cognitive process reliant on histone acetylation. ACSS2 reduction in hippocampus also leads to a defect in upregulation of key neuronal genes involved in memory. These results reveal a unique connection between cellular metabolism and neural plasticity, and establish a link between generation of acetyl-CoA and neuronal chromatin regulation.
Project description:Metabolic production of acetyl-CoA has been linked to histone acetylation and gene regulation, however the mechanisms are largely unknown. We show that the metabolic enzyme acetyl-CoA synthetase 2 (ACSS2) is a critical and directchum regulator of histone acetylation in neurons and of long-term mammalian memory. We observe increased nuclear ACSS2 in differentiating neurons in vitro. Genome-wide, ACSS2 binding corresponds with increased histone acetylation and gene expression of key neuronal genes. These data indicate that ACSS2 functions as a chromatin-bound co-activator to increase local concentrations of acetyl-CoA and to locally promote histone acetylation for transcription of neuron-specific genes. Remarkably, in vivo attenuation of hippocampal ACSS2 expression in adult mice impairs long-term spatial memory, a cognitive process reliant on histone acetylation. ACSS2 reduction in hippocampus also leads to a defect in upregulation of key neuronal genes involved in memory. These results reveal a unique connection between cellular metabolism and neural plasticity, and establish a link between generation of acetyl-CoA and neuronal chromatin regulation.
Project description:Histone acetylation is a key component in the consolidation of long-term fear memories, which are models for highly resilient and durable memory. Histone acetylation is fueled by acetyl-CoA and recently, nuclear-localized metabolic enzymes that produce this metabolite have emerged as direct and local regulators of histone acetylation. In particular, Acetyl-coA synthetase 2 (ACSS2) mediates histone acetylation in the mouse hippocampus. However, whether ACSS2 regulates long-term fear memory remains to be determined. Here, we show that Acss2 knockout is well-tolerated in mice, yet the Acss2 null mouse exhibits reduced acquisition of long-term fear memory. Loss of Acss2 leads to reductions in both histone acetylation and expression of critical learning and memory-related genes in the dorsal hippocampus, specifically following fear conditioning. Further, systemic administration of blood-brain-barrier (BBB)-permeable Acss2 inhibitors during the consolidation window reduces fear memory formation in mice and rats, and reduces anxiety in a predator-scent-stress (PSS) paradigm. Our findings suggest that nuclear acetyl-CoA metabolism via ACSS2 plays a critical, previously unappreciated role in the formation of fear memories.