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Induction of Inducible cAMP Early Repressor Expression in Nucleus Accumbens by Stress or Amphetamine Increases Behavioral Responses to Emotional Stimuli. Introduction. cAMP response element (CRE) is sensitive in many brain areas to drugs, stress, and reward
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Induction of Inducible cAMP Early Repressor Expression in Nucleus Accumbens by Stress or Amphetamine Increases Behavioral Responses to Emotional Stimuli
Introduction • cAMP response element (CRE) is sensitive in many brain areas to drugs, stress, and reward • increased CRE-mediated transcription in NAc (by drugs or stress) decreases behavioral response to +/- stimuli • Blocking CRE transcription via CREB (CRE-binding protein) generally does the opposite
ICER • Inducible cAMP early repressor (ICER) protein represses CRE-mediated transcription • ICER = alternative to CREM (CRE-modulator gene) • ICER opposes CREB in behavior regulation to aid in adapting to aversive & rewarding stimuli
ICER • ICER = collective name for a group of proteins produced from the CREM/ICER gene • 1st described as the major CREM transcript in pineal gland during day-night flux of CREM expression • Studies suggest ICER is involved in returning stimulated cells to the steady-state level
Why Amphetamines? • Amphetamines induce behavioral response by releasing DA from synapse • DA release after AMPH administration is Ca2+ independent • Relies on cytosolic DA & vesicular DA permeating to neuronal cytoplasm from synaptic vesicles
Why Amphetamines? • Repeated, intermittent Tx of rats w/ AMPH or cocaine enhances DA release from striatum & NAc • Previously, AMPH induces CRE-mediated transcription w/in striatum
M & M • Male Sprague Dawley rats • Pair-housed • 12h light/dark cycle w/ dark @ 7pm • Procedures during the day • Rats killed by rapid decapitation • mRNA isolated & purified • mRNA rev transcribed into cDNA • ICER quantified using real-time PCR
M & M • Amphetamine administered intraperitoneally @ 0.5, 2, or 4 mg/kg • 7 daily injections either saline or AMPH • Acute = 6 days of saline + 1 day AMPH • 7d = 7 days of AMPH • Acute stressed rats in conical sleeve for <60 min
M & M Unpredictable stressed rats: • Day 1: cage rotation 50 min @ 12pm • Day 2: wet cage 60 min @ 11pm, lights overnight • Day 3: lights off 180 min @ 12pm, wet cage 15 min @ 3 pm • Day 4: cage rotation 50 min @ 7pm, food/H2O deprivation overnight
M & M • Day 5: swim stress 3 min @ 1 pm, isolation housing overnight • Day 6: restraint stress 60 min @ 11 am, lights off 120 min @ 3 pm • Day 7: swim stress 4 min @ 10 am, restraint stress 60 min @ 12 pm
M & M • ICER mRNA levels in NAc measured to acute stress • Killed 4 h after stresses • ICER & CREM cDNAs amplified from rev transcribed mRNA • HSV (Herpes Simplex Virus) mediated CREM & ICER transcription was driven by a viral promoter • Enhanced green fluorescent protein (GFP) used as control
M & M • HSV vectors injected bilaterally in NAc • Behavioral measures taken 48-96h after surgery • 48h after injection, rats given 4mg/kg AMPH • Brains harvested 3h later & frozen on dry ice
M & M • GFP used as injection site marker & infected tissue micro dissected • RNA purified, amplified, and rev transcribed • CREB target = brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) measured using real-time PCR • HSV-ICER vector was injected into rat NAc shell • Expression verified using fluorescent immunohistochemistry
M & M • PC12 cells were infected w/ HSV-LacZ or HSV-ICER & protein harvested 12h after • ICER protein ID via Western Blot • 90% HSV-LacZ or HSV-ICER & 10% HCR-GFP, 2 separate groups of rats injected into NAc • Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays used to study ICER binding to promoter
M & M • Locomotor activity measured in circular corridor via 4 photoelectric cells in every 90° of circle • Spontaneous activity measured for 120 min in circular corridor chambers • AMPH-stim rats given 2 - 60 min sessions 48h after surgery before testing • Test day: 60 min in corridor before ip injections of 2 or 4 mg/kg AMPH
M & M • H2O removed w/ 1% sucrose in its place but removed 48h before surgery • Testing includes: • Isolation @ 5pm w/ just food • @ 7pm H2O & 1% sucrose bottles for 10 min • Neophobia: rats not pre-exposed & 30 min session
M & M • Viral vectors injected into NAc • Post op day 3: 24h isolation • Post op day 4: measured social behavior • Cage mates together in 50x50cm for 30 min • Watched for social grooming, exploring, playing, resting
M & M • Force swim test rats in 25° H2O tubs for 15 min then 5 min • Immobility: no struggling for 1s (anti-depressive) • Elevated plus maze for 5 min measured time in open arms • Peanut butter chip neophobia: • Isolated rats 16h before testing • PB chips in cup for 2h in home cage during light phase
Results – Figure 1 AMPH on ICER overexpression • AMPH increased ICER mRNA in striatum (3h peak & 12h normal) • AMPH regulation= dose dependent decreasing w/ repeated use • 1st dose= 3x increase • 7th dose= 50% increase • Shown over 24h
Results – Figure 2 Stress Tx • Increased ICER mRNA 75% (1-4h peak after stress & 12h normal) • Smaller compared to AMPH • Peak duration longer w/ acute restraint stress • Chronic restraint stress= no increase • 10 min forced swim or open arm confinement increased ICER mRNA 4h after stress
Results • Why HSV-ICER vector? • Expresses ICER under viral promoter control • Compare mRNA levels of BDNF, CRE target gene, in NAc w/ HSV-ICER or HSV-LacZ • 3h after 4mg/kg AMPH ICER decreased BDNF mRNA • ChIP experiment: CREM/ICER binding to BDNF promoter (ICER induced)
Results Further study: • Injected HSV-ICER into NAc of CRE-LacZ reporter mice • 3rd day (@ optimum HSV expression): 1mg/kg AMPH • Boost LacZ expression • Observed 4h later
Results – Figure 3 • ICER caused decreased GFP • CRE activity not affected by viral infection • HSV-ICER inhibits CRE transcription in NAc • No significance in CREM
Results – Figure 4 Locomotor activity • ICER overexpression in NAc: • Decreased spontaneous activity during middle of test • ICER enhanced AMPH-induced locomotor activity in entire test after 2 mg/kg dose • 20-60min after AMPH= increase • Higher dosage? Not significant
Results – Figure 5 Natural reward • ICER compared to LacZ expression • ICER increased sucrose preference in familiarized animals • ICER increased social reward or grooming time Depression-related behavior • ICER created an anti-depressant effect • Longer latency to immobility in forced swim
Results – Figure 6 Anxiety-related behavior • ICER increased anxiousness • More time spent on closed arms of elevated plus maze • Animals avoided unfamiliar tastes or neophobia (sucrose & PB chips) • Rats frequently turned away from sucrose as a novel taste • But…enhanced preference when familiar • Neophobia is regulated by the NAc causing increased anxiety
Discussion • Stress & AMPH increase ICER expression in striatum • Mimic effect by viral-mediated gene transfer • Gradual peaks in behavior response d/t delay in ICER induction so CREB can induce transcription in target genes - ICER translation • ICER overexpression in NAc = increase response to AMPH
Discussion • ICER affects other protein expression which affect neuronal function – cannot do it alone • CREB-ICER competition @ CRE sites create behavioral response to stimuli • ICER = negative feedback shutting down transcription normally induced by CREB • Rats not as affected w/ repeated stimulation – CREB contributes to pathologic behavior d/t stress or chronic AMPH