How hippocampal memory cells change which genes they turn on after activity
Official title: Dynamics of activity-induced transcription in single dentate granule cells
Funded at Salk Institute for Biological Studies · NIH-11308630 · Data updated 2026-11-12
The team is looking at how individual memory-storing nerve cells in the hippocampus switch on genes after an experience, with the aim of helping people with memory problems like Alzheimer's.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Salk Institute for Biological Studies NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | August 1, 2017 |
| Project end | December 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $461,050 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH114030-08 |
| Project ID | NIH-11308630 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with memory impairment or Alzheimer's could eventually benefit from findings, but this project does not enroll patients directly.
✕Less likely to help
Patients seeking an immediate treatment or clinical trial participation would not gain direct benefit from this basic laboratory research.
What this research studies
Researchers will examine single dentate granule cells—a type of hippocampal neuron important for distinguishing similar memories—to see how they change gene activity after a new experience. They will use single-nucleus RNA sequencing to read gene-expression patterns in individual neurons at multiple times after stimulation, mainly using mouse models of activity-triggered memory formation. The project follows early immediate-early gene responses and later waves of activity-regulated genes that can persist for 24 hours or more. By linking these molecular changes to the dentate gyrus's role in pattern separation, the team hopes to identify processes that may go wrong in Alzheimer's disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to molecular targets for therapies that preserve or restore memory function in conditions such as Alzheimer's disease.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies have identified immediate-early gene activity in memory circuits, but applying single-cell transcriptional profiling to long-lasting activity waves in dentate granule cells is a relatively new approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Salk Institute for Biological Studies
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gage, Fred H — Salk Institute for Biological Studies
- Study coordinator: Gage, Fred H
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
InteroCANCEption: How tumors and the brain talk to each other
A scientist team at a top research center is studying how cancer communicates with the nervous system to influence tumor growth, immunity, and symptoms, using mouse models and brain/nerve mapping.
-
Studying Brain Protein Turnover in Aging and Alzheimer’s with New Tagging Tools
A scientist at a major research center is testing a new method to track how brain proteins are built and cleared as people age and in Alzheimer’s disease, with the goal of understanding why this process goes wrong.
-
Tracking how cancer cells adapt when autophagy is blocked
Scientists are studying how cancer cells change and survive when a key recycling process called autophagy is blocked, with the goal of finding new ways to prevent resistance to therapy.
-
Understanding how the brain attaches meaning to experiences and emotions
This NIH grant supports research to map how brain circuits and signals assign positive or negative meaning to things, and how this changes with life events, with the aim of improving mental health treatments.
-
Molecular control of ROR-gamma-t in the chromatin landscape
A study to understand how the immune-regulating protein ROR-gamma-t works inside the DNA environment to influence immune responses and autoimmune diseases.
-
How chromatin loops are built and kept steady inside living cells
This project studies how the DNA packaging proteins CTCF and Cohesin shape 3D genome structure inside living cells and how loops are formed and maintained.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.