Biological Sciences Seminar

Epigenetic Regulation of the circadian clock

 gene Per1 in memory and aging 

Janine Kwapis, Ph.D. 

Assistant Professor, Department of Biology Pennsylvania State University

In this talk, I will present evidence that the circadian gene Period1 (Per1) serves as a key interface between the circadian clock and memory formation. Our work shows that hippocampal Per1 modulates memory formation and age-related repression of Per1 contributes to age-related memory decline. Learning-induced increases in Per1 correlate with memory formation across the diurnal cycle, consistent with the idea that Per1 functions to “gate” memory formation across the 24h day.

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