A neuroscience study investigated how the brain-enriched circular RNA, circHomer1, regulates hippocampus-dependent learning and memory. By examining male mice, researchers found that circHomer1 exhibits an experience- and activity-dependent expression pattern within the hippocampal CA1 subregion. Depleting circHomer1 impaired dendritic spine morphology, reduced postsynaptic protein expression, and caused significant spatial learning and memory deficits across multiple behavioural tests, such as the Barnes maze. Mechanistically, circHomer1 serves as a vital molecular bridge between the motor protein Kinesin 1 and neuronal ribonucleoprotein granules, facilitating the dendritic transport of synaptic mRNAs essential for structural plasticity.

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