@article{MeyerRichterSchreiberetal.2016,
  author    = {Meyer, Neele and Richter, S. Helene and Schreiber, Rebecca S. and Kloke, Vanessa and Kaiser, Sylvia and Lesch, Klaus-Peter and Sachser, Norbert},
  title     = {The Unexpected Effects of Beneficial and Adverse Social Experiences during Adolescence on Anxiety and Aggression and Their Modulation by Genotype},
  series = {Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience},
  volume    = {10},
  journal   = {Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience},
  number    = {97},
  doi       = {10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00097},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-165090},
  year      = {2016},
  abstract  = {Anxiety and aggression are part of the behavioral repertoire of humans and animals. However, in their exaggerated form both can become maladaptive and result in psychiatric disorders. On the one hand, genetic predisposition has been shown to play a crucial modulatory role in anxiety and aggression. On the other hand, social experiences have been implicated in the modulation of these traits. However, so far, mainly experiences in early life phases have been considered crucial for shaping anxiety-like and aggressive behavior, while the phase of adolescence has largely been neglected. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to elucidate how levels of anxiety-like and aggressive behavior are shaped by social experiences during adolescence and serotonin transporter (5-HTT) genotype. For this purpose, male mice of a 5-HTT knockout mouse model including all three genotypes (wildtype, heterozygous and homozygous 5-HTT knockout mice) were either exposed to an adverse social situation or a beneficial social environment during adolescence. This was accomplished in a custom-made cage system where mice experiencing the adverse environment were repeatedly introduced to the territory of a dominant opponent but had the possibility to escape to a refuge cage. Mice encountering beneficial social conditions had free access to a female mating partner. Afterwards, anxiety-like and aggressive behavior was assessed in a battery of tests. Surprisingly, unfavorable conditions during adolescence led to a decrease in anxiety-like behavior and an increase in exploratory locomotion. Additionally, aggressive behavior was augmented in animals that experienced social adversity. Concerning genotype, homozygous 5-HTT knockout mice were more anxious and less aggressive than heterozygous 5-HTT knockout and wildtype mice. In summary, adolescence is clearly an important phase in which anxiety-like and aggressive behavior can be shaped. Furthermore, it seems that having to cope with challenge during adolescence instead of experiencing throughout beneficial social conditions leads to reduced levels of anxiety-like behavior.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{AraragiMlinarBaccinietal.2013,
  author    = {Araragi, Naozumi and Mlinar, Boris and Baccini, Gilda and Gutknecht, Lise and Lesch, Klaus-Peter and Corradetti, Renato},
  title     = {Conservation of 5-HT1A receptor-mediated autoinhibition of serotonin (5-HT) neurons in mice with altered 5-HT homeostasis},
  series = {Frontiers in Neuropharmacology},
  journal   = {Frontiers in Neuropharmacology},
  doi       = {10.3389/fphar.2013.00097},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-97098},
  year      = {2013},
  abstract  = {Firing activity of serotonin (5-HT) neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) is controlled by inhibitory somatodendritic 5-HT1A autoreceptors. This autoinhibitory mechanism is implicated in the etiology of disorders of emotion regulation, such as anxiety disorders and depression, as well as in the mechanism of antidepressant action. Here, we investigated how persistent alterations in brain 5-HT availability affect autoinhibition in two genetically modified mouse models lacking critical mediators of serotonergic transmission: 5-HT transporter knockout (Sert-/-) and tryptophan hydroxylase-2 knockout (Tph2-/-) mice. The degree of autoinhibition was assessed by loose-seal cell-attached recording in DRN slices. First, application of the 5-HT1A-selective agonist R(+)-8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin showed mild sensitization and marked desensitization of 5-HT1A receptors in Tph2-/- mice and Sert-/- mice, respectively. While 5-HT neurons from Tph2-/- mice did not display autoinhibition in response to L-tryptophan, autoinhibition of these neurons was unaltered in Sert-/- mice despite marked desensitization of their 5-HT1A autoreceptors. When the Tph2-dependent 5-HT synthesis step was bypassed by application of 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan (5-HTP), neurons from both Tph2-/- and Sert-/- mice decreased their firing rates at significantly lower concentrations of 5-HTP compared to wildtype controls. Our findings demonstrate that, as opposed to the prevalent view, sensitivity of somatodendritic 5-HT1A receptors does not predict the magnitude of 5-HT neuron autoinhibition. Changes in 5-HT1A receptor sensitivity may rather be seen as an adaptive mechanism to keep autoinhibition functioning in response to extremely altered levels of extracellular 5-HT resulting from targeted inactivation of mediators of serotonergic signaling.},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Jakob2012,
  author    = {Jakob, Sissi},
  title     = {Molecular mechanisms of early-life stress in 5-Htt deficient mice: Gene x environment interactions and epigenetic programming},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-74150},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2012},
  abstract  = {Early-life stress has been shown to influence the development of the brain and to increase the risk for psychiatric disorders later in life. Furthermore, variation in the human serotonin transporter (5-HTT, SLC6A4) gene is suggested to exert a modulating effect on the association between early-life stress and the risk for depression. At the basis of these gene x environment (G x E) interactions, epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA-methylation, seem to represent the primary biological processes mediating early-life programming for stress susceptibility or resilience, respectively. The exact molecular mechanisms however remain to be elucidated, though. In the present study, we used two different stress paradigms to assess the molecular mechanisms mediating the relationship between early-life stress and disorders of emotion regulation later in life. First, a 5-Htt x prenatal stress (PS) paradigm was applied to investigate whether the effects of PS are dependent on the 5-Htt genotype. For this purpose, the effects of PS on cognition and anxiety- / depression-related behavior were examined using a maternal restraint stress paradigm of PS in C57BL/6 wild-type (WT) and heterozygous 5-Htt deficient (5-Htt+/-) mice. Additionally, in female offspring, a genome-wide hippocampal gene expression and DNA methylation profiling was performed using the Affymetrix GeneChip® Mouse Genome 430 2.0 Array and the AffymetrixGeneChip® Mouse Promoter 1.0R Array. Some of the resulting candidate genes were validated by quantitative real-time PCR. Further, the gene expression of these genes was measured in other brain regions of the PS animals as well as in the hippocampus of offspring of another, 5-Htt x perinatal stress (PeS) paradigm, in which pregnant and lactating females were stressed by an olfactory cue indicating infanticide. To assess resilience to PS and PeS, correlation studies between gene expression and behaviour were performed based on an initial performance-based LIMMA analysis of the gene expression microarray. 5-Htt+/- offspring of the PS paradigm showed enhanced memory performance and signs of reduced anxiety as compared to WT offspring. In contrast, exposure of 5-Htt+/- mice to PS was associated with increased depression-like behavior, an effect that tended to be more pronounced in female offspring. Further, 5-Htt genotype, PS and their interaction differentially affected the expression and DNA methylation of numerous genes and related pathways within the female hippocampus. Specifically, MAPK and neurotrophin signaling were regulated by both the 5-Htt+/- genotype and PS exposure, whereas cytokine and Wnt signaling were affected in a 5-Htt genotype x PS manner, indicating a gene x environment interaction at the molecular level. The candidate genes of the expression array could be validated and their expression patterns were partly consistent in the prefrontal cortex and striatum. Furthermore, the genotype effect of XIAP associated factor 1 (Xaf1) was also detected in the mice of the PeS paradigm. Concerning resilience, we found that the expression of growth hormone (Gh), prolactin (Prl) and fos-induced growth factor (Figf) were downregulated in WTPS mice that performed well in the forced swim test (FST). At the same time, the results indicated that Gh and Prl expression correlated positively with adrenal weight, whereas Figf expression correlated positively with basal corticosteron concentration, indicating an intricate relationship between depression-like behavior, hippocampal gene expression and the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity. Correlation studies in the PeS animals revealed a link between Gh / Prl expression and anxiety-like behavior. In conclusion, our data suggest that although the 5-Htt+/- genotype shows clear adaptive capacity, 5-Htt+/- mice, particularly females, appear to be more vulnerable to developmental stress exposure when compared to WT offspring. Moreover, hippocampal gene expression and DNA methylation profiles suggest that distinct epigenetic mechanisms at the molecular level mediate the behavioral effects of the 5-Htt genotype, PS exposure, and their interaction. Further, resilience to early-life stress might be conferred by genes whose expression is linked to HPA axis function.},
  subject      = {Stressreaktion},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Doenitz2010,
  author    = {Doenitz, Christian},
  title     = {Adulte Neurogenese in alten Serotonin-Transporter defizienten M{\"a}usen},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-49745},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2010},
  abstract  = {Das serotonerge System des Gehirns mit seinen Projektionen ins limbische System ist an der Pathogenese der Depression und anderer neuropsychiatrischer Erkrankungen beteiligt. Bei der serotonergen Neurotransmission spielt der Serotonintransporter (5-HTT) eine wichtige Rolle und ist auch therapeutischer Angriffspunkt verschiedener Antidepressiva. Das Tiermodell der 5-HTT-Knockout(KO)-Maus dient der Untersuchung des serotonergen Systems. Diese Tiere besitzen neben einem verst{\"a}rkten Angst-{\"a}hnlichen Verhalten auch erh{\"o}hte 5-HT-Konzentrationen im synaptischen Spalt. Lange Zeit war man der Meinung, dass nahezu alle Nervenzellen w{\"a}hrend der Embryogenese bis kurz nach der Geburt gebildet werden. Neuere Untersuchungen konnten Neurogenese jedoch auch im Gehirn adulter Tiere und auch des Menschen nachweisen. Eine wichtige Gehirnregion mit adulter Neurogenese (aN) bis ins hohe Alter ist der Gyrus dentatus (GD) des Hippocampus. Der Hippocampus ist zentraler Teil des limbischen Systems und hat Schl{\"u}sselfunktionen bei Lernprozessen und der Ged{\"a}chtnisbildung und unterliegt durch seine serotonerge Innervation auch dem Einfluss von 5-HT. Die Zusammenfassung dieser Beobachtungen f{\"u}hrte zu folgender Arbeitshypothese: Eine erniedrigte Zahl von 5-HTT f{\"u}hrt zu chronisch erh{\"o}hten 5-HT-Spiegeln im synaptischen Spalt. Die damit verbundene Stimulation des serotonergen Systems f{\"u}hrt zu einer ver{\"a}nderten aN. Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war die quantitative Bestimmung von Proliferation, {\"U}berleben und Migration neu entstandener Zellen in der KZS des GD von heterozygoten (HET) und homozygoten 5-HTT-M{\"a}usen (KO), die mit Wildtyptieren (WT) verglichen wurden. Dabei wurden {\"a}ltere M{\"a}usen mit einem Durchschnittsalter von 13,8 Monaten verwendet. In der Gruppe zur Untersuchung der Proliferation wurden die Versuchstiere (n=18) 24 h nach Injektionen mit BrdU get{\"o}tet und histologische Schnitte des Hippocampus post mortem untersucht. In der Gruppe zur Untersuchung der {\"U}berlebensrate und Migration wurden die M{\"a}use (n=18) 4 Wochen nach den BrdU-Injektionen get{\"o}tet. Im Proliferationsversuch wurde ein signifikanter Unterschied bei der Konzentration BrdU-markierter Zellkerne in der SGZ zwischen KO-M{\"a}usen im Vergleich zu WT-Tieren gefunden, wobei HET-M{\"a}use ebenfalls eine signifikant h{\"o}here Konzentration BrdU-markierter Zellkerne in der SGZ gegen{\"u}ber WT-M{\"a}usen zeigten. In diesem Experiment ist somit ein positiver Einfluss des heterozygoten und homozygoten 5-HTT-KO auf die Entstehungsrate neuer Zellen im GD des Hippocampus im Vergleich zu den WT-Tieren feststellbar. Im Versuch zur Feststellung der {\"U}berlebensrate neu gebildeter Zellen im Hippocampus nach vier Wochen zeigten KO-M{\"a}use gegen{\"u}ber WT- und HET-M{\"a}usen keine signifikant h{\"o}here Zahl BrdU-markierter Zellkerne. Auch bei der Untersuchung der Migration war beinahe die H{\"a}lfte der BrdU-markierten Zellen von der SGZ in die KZS eingewandert. Ein signifikanter Unterschied zwischen den verschiedenen 5-HTT-Genotypen zeigte sich nicht. Offenbar hat der heterozygote oder homozygote 5-HTT-KO keinen Einfluss auf die {\"U}berlebensrate und das Migrationsverhalten neu entstandener Zellen. Bei den in dieser Arbeit durchgef{\"u}hrten Untersuchungen zur aN in 5-HTT-KO-M{\"a}usen konnte weder bei der Gruppe zur Untersuchung der Proliferation von neuronalen Vorl{\"a}uferzellen noch bei der Untersuchung der {\"U}berlebensrate oder Migration eine Abh{\"a}ngigkeit der ermittelten Konzentration BrdU-positiver Zellen vom Geschlecht oder Alter gefunden werden. Es zeigte sich jedoch eine signifikante negative Korrelation zwischen dem Gewicht der Tiere und dem Anteil gewanderter Zellen im Migrationsversuch, d.h. leichtere Tiere hatten tendenziell einen h{\"o}heren Anteil von in die KZS eingewanderten Zellen. Zusammengefasst zeigt die vorliegende Arbeit zum einen, dass {\"a}ltere KO- oder HET-M{\"a}use im Vergleich zu WT-Tieren eine erh{\"o}hte Proliferationsrate von neuronalen Vorl{\"a}uferzellen aufweisen. Zum anderen konnte ein indirekter Zusammenhang zwischen dem Gewicht der Versuchstiere und der Anzahl von in die KZS eingewanderten Zellen nachgewiesen werden. Bei einer Vergleichsuntersuchung in unserem Hause mit zwei Gruppen j{\"u}ngerer adulter 5-HTT-KO M{\"a}use mit einem Durchschnittalter von 7 Wochen und 3 Monaten konnte die Beobachtung einer erh{\"o}hten Proliferation nicht gemacht werden. Wir gehen deshalb davon aus, dass in diesem 5-HTT-KO Modell nur in h{\"o}herem Alter eine ver{\"a}nderte 5-HT-Hom{\"o}ostase zu einer verst{\"a}rkten Proliferation von neuronalen Vorl{\"a}uferzellen f{\"u}hrt.},
  subject      = {Neurogenese},
  language  = {de}
}