Fatty Acids Unveiled as Key Memory Builders, Researchers Discover

The importance of saturated fatty acids for the brain’s memory storage has been shown by researchers at the University of Queensland.
According to research by Dr. Isaac Akefe of the Queensland Brain Institute at the University of Queensland, a novel treatment for neurodegenerative diseases may now be achievable. Additionally, he has found the genes responsible for the formation of memories.
The results were released in the Journal of EMBO.

“We’ve shown previously that levels of saturated fatty acids increase in the brain during neuronal communication, but we didn’t know what was causing these changes,” Dr Akefe said.
“Now for the first time, we’ve identified alterations in the brain’s fatty acid landscape when the neurons encode a memory.
“An enzyme called Phospholipase A1 (PLA1) interacts with another protein at the synapse called STXBP1 to form saturated fatty acids.”
The brain is the body’s fattiest organ, with fatty compounds called lipids making up 60 per cent of its weight. Fatty acids are the building blocks of a class of lipids called phospholipids.

Research conducted in the lab of Professor Frederic Meunier has demonstrated that STXBP1 regulates the targeting of the PLA1 enzyme, controlling communication at the brain’s synapses and coordinating the release of fatty acids.
“Human mutations in the PLA1 and STXBP1 genes reduce free fatty acid levels and promote neurological disorders,” said Professor Meunier.
We employed mouse models in which the PLA1 gene was deleted to ascertain the significance of free fatty acids in the development of memory. Throughout their lifetimes, we monitored the beginning and development of neurological and cognitive impairment. We observed that their levels of saturated free fatty acid were much lower than those of control mice, even before their memories became affected. This suggests that the fatty acids released by the PLA1 enzyme are important.