Aging Alters the Distribution, Stability, and Transcriptional Signature of Engram Cells [snRNA-Seq]

Aging reducesthe ability to maintain or retrieve such memories, but how it affectsengram formation,stability and the molecularchangesthat enable retrieval remainunknown. In this study, we used the TRAP2 mouse model to permanently tag neurons activated within specifictime windows.

By combining this with a nuclear envelope-labeling reporter, we enabled automated quantification throughiDISCO and isolatedreactivated cells using fluorescence-activated nuclear sorting (FANS).Advanced analytical methods allowed us to examine the size, distribution, and stability of engrams across 378 brain regions,and identifyingtranscriptional signatures linked to memory encoding and recall inbothyoung and aged mice.