New insights on brain‐derived neurotrophic factor epigenetics: from depression to memory extinction
Abstract
Advances in characterizing molecular profiles provide valuable insights and opportunities for deciphering the neuropathology of depression. Although abnormal brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in depression has gained much support from preclinical and clinical research, how it mediates behavioral alterations in the depressed state remains largely obscure. Environmental factors contribute significantly to the onset of depression and produce robust epigenetic changes. Epigenetic regulation of BDNF, as one of the most characterized gene loci in epigenetics, has recently emerged as a target in research on memory and psychiatric disorders. Specifically, epigenetic alterations of BDNF exons are heavily involved in mediating memory functions and antidepressant effects. In this review, we discuss key research on stress‐induced depression from both preclinical and clinical studies, which revealed that differential epigenetic regulation of specific BDNF exons is associated with depression pathophysiology. Considering that BDNF has a central role in depression, we argue that memory extinction, an adaptive response to fear exposure, is dependent on BDNF modulation and holds promise as a prospective target for alleviating or treating depression and anxiety disorders.
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Targeting BDNF expression with antidepressants may facilitate fear memory extinction in a depression paradigm and may also be used to alleviate anxiety-related pathology.
“A recent review by Poon et al. (2021) summarizes the potential in targeting BDNF expression with antidepressants to facilitate fear memory extinction in a depression paradigm that may also be used to alleviate anxiety-related pathology.”
From The Epigenetics of Anxiety Pathophysiology: A DNA Methylation and Histone Modification Focused Review (2023) · cites this paper as Poon et al., 2021
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BDNF as a Mediator of Antidepressant Response: Recent Advances and Lifestyle Interactions
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- Authors
- Poon, C. H., Heng, B. C., & Lim, L. W.
- Affiliations
- University of Hong Kong (HK)
- Peking University (CN)
- Sunway University (MY)
- Corresponding author
- Lim, Lee Wei
- Venue
- Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2020-08-17
- Volume
- 1484
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 9-31
- ISSN
- 0077-8923 (ISSN-L)
- 1749-6632
- OpenAlex
- W3063391915
- Cited by
- 40
- References
- 31
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 6
- FWCI
- 0.79
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Treatment of Major Depression
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Epigenetics and DNA Methylation
- Keywords
- brain-derived neurotrophic factor, depression, memory extinction, stress-induced depression, antidepressant effects, anxiety disorders, fear extinction
- MeSH terms
- Anxiety Disorders, Depression, Fear, Humans, Memory, Memory Disorders, Promoter Regions, Genetic, Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, Epigenesis, Genetic
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