Now, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have discovered, in the mouse brain, that a key metabolic enzyme works directly within the nucleus of neurons to turn genes on or off when new memories are being established. Their findings are published online this week in Nature.

"This enzyme, called acetyl-CoA synthetase 2, or ACSS2, 'fuels' a whole machinery of gene expression 'on site' in the nucleus of nerve cells to turn on key memory genes after learning," said senior author Shelley L. Berger, PhD, the Daniel S. Och University Professor in the departments Cell and Developmental Biology and Biology and director of the Penn Epigenetics Program. "We found both direct gene-association of ACSS2 and a role for it in neurons to regulate learning and memory -- two completely unanticipated novel discoveries."
https://www.sciencedaily.com/release...0531133310.htm