Histone deacetylases in memory and cognition

Gloss Histone lysine deacetylases (HDACs) are important regulators of gene expression involved in many biological processes. In recent years, it has been established that HDACs play critical roles in regulating brain functions important for learning, memory, and other cognitive processes. Emerging evidence also implicates altered HDAC function in numerous neurological diseases and disorders. In this review, which contains 1 figure and 79 references, we discuss our current knowledge about the roles of HDACs in cognitive function and dysfunction and examine the mechanisms regulating HDAC activity in relation to relevant target gene expression in the nervous system.