A groundbreaking discovery has been made by University of Queensland researchers, revealing a new lipid-based pathway that is essential for memory formation. This finding has the potential to pave the way for treatments targeting post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Professor Frédéric Meunier, leading the team at UQ's Queensland Brain Institute, identified a saturated fat known as myristic acid that is released by an enzyme called DDHD2. This fat is then utilized to chemically 'tag' proteins at the sites where neurons connect and communicate with each other.

Previous research has shown that myristic acid is crucial for solidifying memories. In this latest study, it was discovered that myristic acid attaches to proteins, modifying their membrane association and driving the process of memory formation. Without this fat-tagging mechanism, the proteins in dendritic spines are unable to perform their functions, impeding the strengthening of neuronal connections.

Experiments involving mice revealed that blocking this lipid-signalling pathway prevented the brain from undergoing the necessary protein modifications crucial for memory formation. This suggests that interfering with this process could potentially impact how the brain stores memories.

The National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing 2020–2022 indicates that approximately 11% of Australians experience PTSD at some point in their lives. Co-author Dr. Nathalie Dehorter emphasized that this discovery has significant implications for understanding brain plasticity and could serve as a therapeutic target for preventing the consolidation of traumatic memories.

Despite the promising findings, the researchers caution that any clinical applications stemming from this research are still in the distant future. They stress the importance of careful ethical considerations when exploring approaches to controlling memory.

The brain, being the body's fattiest organ, contains fatty compounds that make up 60% of its weight. This study underscores the critical role that fats play in brain function and highlights the importance of further research in this area.

Funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and the Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, this research was supported by UQ's Clinical Research Mass Spectrometry Facility and Biological Resources facility. The findings have been published in The EMBO Journal.