Chromatin learns to behave

Epigenetic changes are commonly considered stable modifications of the chromatin that define the differentiation state of cells during the development. Within the central nervous system however, chromatin is not static, but acts as a highly dynamic scaffold that supports the functional plasticity of fully differentiated, post-mitotic neurons. In the present review, we discuss relevant studies that have shown how specific chromatin remodeling events provide the basis to encode environmental stimuli and, consequently, express associated behavioral responses. This has been demonstrated for both physiological and pathological conditions, including cognition and drug addiction. Among chromatin modifications, histone acetylation appears to play a pivotal role in the regulation of behavior, making histone acetylases and deacetylases promising candidates for the pharmacological treatment of several neurological disorders.