We study the molecular mechanisms and biological consequences of stimulus-regulated transcription in the CNS. The brain is a highly adaptable organ that is capable of converting environmental information into changes in neuronal function. Transcriptional regulators play an essential role in this process by transducing synaptic activity into changes in the regulation of neuronal gene expression programs that are required for the formation, maturation, and plasticity of synapses.

Transcriptional Regulation of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF)

Methyl-DNA Complex Protein 2 (MeCP2) in Monoamine-Regulated Neuronal Plasticity

Epigenomics of Neuronal Development

New Technologies for Studying Activity-Regulated Neuronal Transcription

Tremblay, Martine W., Matthew V. Green, Benjamin M. Goldstein, Andrew I. Aldridge, Jill A. Rosenfeld, Haley Streff, Wendy D. Tan, et al. “Mutations of the histone linker H1-4 in neurodevelopmental disorders and functional characterization of neurons expressing C-terminus frameshift mutant H1.4.” Hum Mol Genet 31, no. 9 (May 4, 2022): 1430–42. https://doi.org/10.1093/hmg/ddab321.

Gallegos, David A., Melyssa Minto, Fang Liu, Mariah F. Hazlett, S. Aryana Yousefzadeh, Luke C. Bartelt, and Anne E. West. “Cell-type specific transcriptional adaptations of nucleus accumbens interneurons to amphetamine.” Mol Psychiatry, February 16, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-022-01466-1.

Gemberling, Matthew P., Keith Siklenka, Erica Rodriguez, Katherine R. Tonn-Eisinger, Alejandro Barrera, Fang Liu, Ariel Kantor, et al. “Transgenic mice for in vivo epigenome editing with CRISPR-based systems.” Nat Methods 18, no. 8 (August 2021): 965–74. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41592-021-01207-2.

Chan, Urann, Diwas Gautam, and Anne E. West. “Utilizing In Vivo Postnatal Electroporation to Study Cerebellar Granule Neuron Morphology and Synapse Development.” J Vis Exp, no. 172 (June 9, 2021). https://doi.org/10.3791/62568.

Green, Matthew V., and Anne E. West. “TRPing into excitotoxic neuronal death.” Cell Calcium 93 (January 2021): 102331. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceca.2020.102331.

Chen, Liang-Fu, Michelle R. Lyons, Fang Liu, Matthew V. Green, Nathan G. Hedrick, Ashley B. Williams, Arthy Narayanan, Ryohei Yasuda, and Anne E. West. “The NMDA receptor subunit GluN3A regulates synaptic activity-induced and myocyte enhancer factor 2C (MEF2C)-dependent transcription.” J Biol Chem 295, no. 25 (June 19, 2020): 8613–27. https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.RA119.010266.

Nord, Alex S., and Anne E. West. “Neurobiological functions of transcriptional enhancers.” Nat Neurosci 23, no. 1 (January 2020): 5–14. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-019-0538-5.

Swahari, Vijay, and Anne E. West. “Histone demethylases in neuronal differentiation, plasticity, and disease.” Curr Opin Neurobiol 59 (December 2019): 9–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conb.2019.02.009.

West, Anne E. “Activity-Dependent Transcription Collaborates with Local Dendritic Translation to Encode Stimulus-Specificity in the Genome Binding of NPAS4.” Neuron 104, no. 4 (November 20, 2019): 634–36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2019.10.022.

Tonn Eisinger, Katherine R., and Anne E. West. “Transcribing Memories in Genome Architecture.” Trends Neurosci 42, no. 9 (September 2019): 565–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2019.06.002.