A UCLA-led study has provided an unprecedented look at how gene regulation evolves during human brain development, showing how the 3D structure of chromatin -; DNA and proteins -; plays a critical role. This work offers new insights into how early brain development shapes lifelong mental health. The study, published in Nature , was led by Dr.
Chongyuan Luo at UCLA and Dr. Mercedes Paredes at UC San Francisco, in collaboration with researchers from the Salk Institute, UC San Diego and Seoul National University. It created the first map of DNA modification in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex -; two regions of the brain critical to learning, memory and emotional regulation.
These areas are also frequently involved in disorders like autism and schizophrenia. The researchers hope the data resource, which they've made publicly available through an online platform, will be a valuable tool scientists can use to connect genetic variants associated with these conditions to the genes, cells and developmental periods that are most sensitive to their effects. "Neuropsychiatric disorders, even those emerging in adulthood, often stem from genetic factors disrupting early brain development," said Luo, a member of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA.
"Our map offers a baseline to compare against genetic studies of diseased-affected brains and pinpoint when and where molecular changes occur." To produce the map, the research team used a .