No. 14

Title: A cell-type specific epigenetic mechanism encodes social memory

Speaker: Youming Lu (鲁友明)

                 Professor

                Tongji School of Medicine

                Huazhong University of Science and Technology

Host: Lin Mei

         Chinese Institutes for Medical Research, Beijing

Time: 2:30 PM, Jan. 25, 2024 (Thursday)

Location: Room 1322, North Tower, Basic Research Building, Capital Medical University 

Abstract

Social investigation is a complex behavior essential for understanding the surrounding world and is impaired in some major neuropsychiatric disorders. Yet, little is known about whether and if yes, how social investigation is encoded in a specific type of cortical neurons. Here, we generated a computer vision tool to track social behavior of naïve mice and categorized them as high (HS) versus low (LS) social groups. We integrated a genetically guided TRAP2 strategy with single cell Ca²⁺ image and found that activity dynamics of Htr2c neurons in the prelimbic cortical layer 5 encode social investigatory behavior. We uncovered a long non-coding RNA Lrhcn1 that controls Hcn1 transcription and regulates ensemble activity of Htr2c neurons and this regulation motivates social investigation. Htr2c neurons directly and functionally project to nitric oxide synthase (Nos1) neurons in the hypothalamic nucleus. Gain- and loss-of function studies demonstrated that this projection specifically processes socially conveyed information.

Selected Papers:

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