Cholinergic stress signals promote microRNA-mediated stereotypic behavior via glutamatergic neuromodulation
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ABSTRACT: Stereotypic behavior (SB) is common in emotional stress-involved psychiatric disorders and is often attributed to glutamatergic impairments, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. To challenge the causal involvement of cholinergic neuromodulation in SB, we studied TgR mice with impaired cholinergic transmission due to over-expression of the stress-inducible soluble ‘readthrough’ acetylcholinesterase-R (AChE-R) variant. RNA-sequencing revealed 37 differentially expressed microRNAs in TgR mice hippocampi, 8 of which targeting over 5 human cholinergic-related transcripts each. Further, microarray tests of TgR prefrontal cortices displayed up to 428 long RNA transcripts differentially expressed from those of FVB/N mice, primarily glutamatergic-related mRNA transcripts (P<1x10-3). Suggesting behavioral relevance, TgR brains presented c-fos over-expression at motor behavior-regulating brain regions and immune-labeled AChE-R excess in SB-regulating basal ganglia, limbic brain nuclei and the brain stem. Compatible with this, TgR mice showed impaired organization of behavior, performance errors in a serial maze test, escape-like locomotion and less rearing under changed environmental familiarity/novelty conditions. Our findings attribute stress-induced SB to previously unknown microRNA-mediated perturbation of cholinergic/glutamatergic networks, support malfunctioning hierarchical control of cholinergic signaling as impairing the behavioral inhibitory regulation via glutamatergic neuromodulation and underscore new therapeutic strategies for correcting stereotypic behaviors.
ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus
PROVIDER: GSE144022 | GEO | 2023/01/21
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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