Neuroscience/Cell Biology/MB&B Wilbur Cross Medal Talk: "Regulating Gene Expression in Neurons to Store Long-term Memories"

Kelsey C. Martin, Ph.D., Dean, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Gerald S. Levey Chair, Professor, Biological Chemistry, and Professor, Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, is the 2018 Wilbur Lucius Cross Medal recipient in Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry. The Wilbur Lucius Cross Medal is the highest award presented by The Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences to its most outstanding alumni. The medal recognizes distinguished achievements in scholarship, teaching, academic administration and public service, areas in which the legendary Dean Cross excelled.

Abstract:

My talk will focus on molecular cell biological studies of long-term memory formation. Unlike short-term memory, long-term memory formation requires new gene expression. I will review studies that address:

1) How signals are relayed from stimulated synapses to the nucleus to alter gene expression at the level of transcription and RNA processing

2) How mRNA metabolism is regulated at the levels of mRNA stability and translation to allow for activity-dependent changes in the proteome of individual synapse.

The results of our studies elucidate how experience alters synaptic connectivity to store memories. They also identify molecular processes that go awry in neuropsychiatric diseases, including Autism Spectrum Disorders and epilepsy.