The brain-specific microRNA miR-128b regulates the formation of fear-extinction memory

• DOI: 10.1038/nn.2891
• Publication Date: 2011-08-14T17:08:44Z
• Authors: Quan Lin; Wei Wei; Carlos M Coelho; Xiang Li; Danay Baker-Andresen; Kevin Dudley; Vikram S Ratnu; Zoran Boskovic; Michael S Kobor; Yi E Sun; Timothy W Bredy
• Keywords: Extinction (optical mineralogy)

MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that mediate post-transcriptional gene silencing. Fear-extinction learning in C57/Bl6J mice led to increased expression of the brain-specific microRNA miR-128b, which disrupted stability of several plasticity-related target genes and regulated formation of fear-extinction memory. Increased miR-128b activity may therefore facilitate the transition from retrieval of the original fear memory toward the formation of a new fear-extinction memory.