# Cell-type, circuit and network mechanisms of adult oligodendrogenesis in memory storage and retrieval

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · 2022 · $694,994

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Oligodendrocyte precursor cells continually produce myelinating oligodendrocytes in the adult brain throughout
life. Active myelination of adult brain circuits has been shown to be important for some forms of learning, and
recent work from our groups has shown that this a crucial process in memory storage and retrieval. However,
while previous work has provided essential insight into the regulation of myelin plasticity in the adult brain, it is
not clear how this process impacts the dynamic nature of neural encoding within memory circuits. Myelination
increases conduction velocity across individual axons, however how this translates to computations at the level
of neural circuits and their subsequent behavioral outputs is poorly understood. Thus, a considerable gap
exists between those findings related to axonal myelination in the adult and those that describe the neural
coding dynamics that underlie memory encoding, consolidation and recall. In this proposal we aim to bridge
this gap by 1) elucidating the cell types in the mouse medial prefrontal cortex that become myelinated after a
learning experience, 2) determine how active myelination of cortical circuits impacts the cellular codes that
support memory, 3) how activity-dependent myelination modulates the synchronization and interregional
communication between the medial prefrontal cortex, amygdala and hippocampus during fear memory recall
and 4) the temporal dynamics of oligodendrocyte precursor proliferation and differentiation in vivo after
memory encoding. These studies will provide the first ever evidence for bidirectional interaction between new
myelin formation and active memory encoding ensembles and will elucidate fundamental mechanisms of glial
signaling during learning and memory.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10443712
- **Project number:** 5R01MH125515-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO
- **Principal Investigator:** Jonah R Chan
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $694,994
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-07-02 → 2026-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10443712

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10443712, Cell-type, circuit and network mechanisms of adult oligodendrogenesis in memory storage and retrieval (5R01MH125515-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10443712. Licensed CC0.

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