Unlocking the secrets and techniques of reminiscence—with fruit flies – Dal Information

What do fruit flies and Nobel Prizes have in widespread? More than you would possibly suppose — particularly in relation to understanding how recollections are made and saved within the mind.

Dr. Jamie Kramer, a professor in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Dalhousie’s Faculty of Medicine, just lately co-authored a groundbreaking examine accepted at Nature Communications, one of many world’s main scientific journals. 

Working with collaborators in Madrid, Spain led by Dr. Francisco Martin, Dr. Kramer’s group used fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) to uncover new clues in regards to the genes and molecular switches that assist recollections stick.

Why fruit flies?

It would possibly sound stunning, however fruit flies have been on the coronary heart of genetic analysis for greater than a century. 

“They’re small, cheap, and their genetics are easy to control,” Dr. Kramer explains. “Their brains are simple enough to study in detail, but still complex enough to teach us about how memory works.” 

In truth, a number of the first “memory genes” had been found in fruit flies, and analysis in these tiny bugs has led to a number of Nobel Prizes—together with discoveries about circadian rhythms—our each day sleep-wake cycles.

How do recollections kind?

Dr. Kramer’s analysis focuses on the distinction between short-term and long-term reminiscence. While short-term recollections can fade shortly, long-term recollections require a particular course of: sure genes in our mind cells have to be switched on to assist retailer info for the lengthy haul. 

“We know this happens in both flies and mammals, but the exact genes and transcription factors — or switches — involved have been a mystery,” says Dr. Kramer.

Using superior know-how, his crew was in a position to isolate the precise memory-forming neurons in fruit flies and observe which genes had been activated as recollections fashioned and had been recalled. This was no small feat — these neurons are tiny and arduous to check.

Our work might assist us perceive not simply reminiscence but additionally give clues in regards to the mechanisms underlying the associated human dysfunction.

The crew recognized a gaggle of genes which can be switched on throughout long-term reminiscence formation, in addition to two key “switches” (known as transcription elements) that management this course of. What’s particularly thrilling is that these switches are additionally linked to human neurological problems, together with some uncommon neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative illnesses. 

“The genes that we discovered to be controlling memory storage in flies are also present in humans and implicated in human disease” Dr. Kramer notes. “That means our work could help us understand not just memory but also give clues about the mechanisms underlying the related human disorders.”

Building blocks for future analysis

Dr. Kramer’s work is a traditional instance of how primary science lays the inspiration for future breakthroughs. 

By mapping out how reminiscence works in fruit flies, researchers can shortly check a whole bunch of genes — far quicker than in utilizing mammalian mannequin techniques. 

“We’re providing the building blocks,” he says. “Other scientists can use our findngs to study these genes further.”