NPTX2 is a key component in the regulation of anxiety

Neuropsychopharmacology : Official Publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
Simon ChangGuo-Jen Huang

Abstract

Anxiety disorders significantly impair quality of life. However, limited knowledge of the underlying mechanisms impedes the development of effective therapeutics. Previous studies have suggested that the expression of the Nptx2 gene is associated with anxiety, but the neurobiological processes underlying this association remain unclear. We generated multiple mouse models with knockout or overexpression of Nptx2 in specific brain regions and during different developmental stages to assess anxiety, adult neurogenesis, and glucocorticoid-related gene expression. Our results provide evidence that Nptx2 expression in the adult hippocampus regulates anxiety in mice. Eliminating Nptx2 expression in either the developing mouse brain or in adulthood leads to increased anxiety levels. The increase in anxiety was evident in hippocampus-specific Nptx2 knockout mice, but not in an amygdala specific knockouts. Gene expression analysis revealed increased expression of glucocorticoid receptor target genes in Nptx2 knockout mice after acute stress. Overexpression of Nptx2 in the hippocampus alleviates stress-induced anxious behaviors and reverses the changes in expression of glucocorticoid receptor related genes. In conclusion, we demonstrate t...Continue Reading

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Citations

Dec 24, 2018·The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology·Ignazio S PirasBernardo Carpiniello
Sep 10, 2019·Journal of Cellular Biochemistry·Wei XiangChunhua Huang
Jul 9, 2021·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Racheli WercbergerAllan I Basbaum
Sep 22, 2021·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Yu-Ju ChenGuo-Jen Huang

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
PCR
in
transfection

Software Mentioned

Graphpad Prism
Ethovision

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