@article{WeidnerLardenoijeEijssenetal.2019,
  author    = {Weidner, Magdalena T. and Lardenoije, Roy and Eijssen, Lars and Mogavero, Floriana and De Groodt, Lilian P. M. T. and Popp, Sandy and Palme, Rupert and F{\"o}rstner, Konrad U. and Strekalova, Tatyana and Steinbusch, Harry W. M. and Schmitt-B{\"o}hrer, Angelika G. and Glennon, Jeffrey C. and Waider, Jonas and van den Hove, Daniel L. A. and Lesch, Klaus-Peter},
  title     = {Identification of cholecystokinin by genome-wide profiling as potential mediator of serotonin-dependent behavioral effects of maternal separation in the amygdala},
  series = {Frontiers in Neuroscience},
  volume    = {13},
  journal   = {Frontiers in Neuroscience},
  doi       = {10.3389/fnins.2019.00460},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-201340},
  pages     = {460},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {Converging evidence suggests a role of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) and tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2), the rate-limiting enzyme of 5-HT synthesis in the brain, in modulating long-term, neurobiological effects of early-life adversity. Here, we aimed at further elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying this interaction, and its consequences for socio-emotional behaviors, with a focus on anxiety and social interaction. In this study, adult, male Tph2 null mutant (Tph2\(^{-/-}\)) and heterozygous (Tph2\(^{+/-}\)) mice, and their wildtype littermates (Tph2\(^{+/+}\)) were exposed to neonatal, maternal separation (MS) and screened for behavioral changes, followed by genome-wide RNA expression and DNA methylation profiling. In Tph2\(^{-/-}\) mice, brain 5-HT deficiency profoundly affected socio-emotional behaviors, i.e., decreased avoidance of the aversive open arms in the elevated plus-maze (EPM) as well as decreased prosocial and increased rule breaking behavior in the resident-intruder test when compared to their wildtype littermates. Tph2\(^{+/-}\) mice showed an ambiguous profile with context-dependent, behavioral responses. In the EPM they showed similar avoidance of the open arm but decreased prosocial and increased rule breaking behavior in the resident-intruder test when compared to their wildtype littermates. Notably, MS effects on behavior were subtle and depended on the Tph2 genotype, in particular increasing the observed avoidance of EPM open arms in wildtype and Tph2\(^{+/-}\) mice when compared to their Tph2\(^{-/-}\) littermates. On the genomic level, the interaction of Tph2 genotype with MS differentially affected the expression of numerous genes, of which a subset showed an overlap with DNA methylation profiles at corresponding loci. Remarkably, changes in methylation nearby and expression of the gene encoding cholecystokinin, which were inversely correlated to each other, were associated with variations in anxiety-related phenotypes. In conclusion, next to various behavioral alterations, we identified gene expression and DNA methylation profiles to be associated with TPH2 inactivation and its interaction with MS, suggesting a gene-by-environment interaction-dependent, modulatory function of brain 5-HT availability.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{GutknechtPoppWaideretal.2015,
  author    = {Gutknecht, Lise and Popp, Sandy and Waider, Jonas and Sommerlandt, Frank M. J. and G{\"o}ppner, Corinna and Post, Antonia and Reif, Andreas and van den Hove, Daniel and Strekalova, Tatyana and Schmitt, Angelika and Colaςo, Maria B. N. and Sommer, Claudia and Palme, Rupert and Lesch, Klaus-Peter},
  title     = {Interaction of brain 5-HT synthesis deficiency, chronic stress and sex differentially impact emotional behavior in Tph2 knockout mice},
  series = {Psychopharmacology},
  volume    = {232},
  journal   = {Psychopharmacology},
  doi       = {10.1007/s00213-015-3879-0},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-154586},
  pages     = {2429 -- 2441},
  year      = {2015},
  abstract  = {Rationale While brain serotonin (5-HT) function is implicated in gene-by-environment interaction (GxE) impacting the vulnerability-resilience continuum in neuropsychiatric disorders, it remains elusive how the interplay of altered 5-HT synthesis and environmental stressors is linked to failure in emotion regulation. Objective Here, we investigated the effect of constitutively impaired 5-HT synthesis on behavioral and neuroendocrine responses to unpredictable chronic mild stress (CMS) using a mouse model of brain 5-HT deficiency resulting from targeted inactivation of the tryptophan hydroxylase-2 (Tph2) gene. Results Locomotor activity and anxiety- and depression-like behavior as well as conditioned fear responses were differentially affected by Tph2 genotype, sex, and CMS. Tph2 null mutants (Tph2\(^{-/-}\)) displayed increased general metabolism, marginally reduced anxiety- and depression-like behavior but strikingly increased conditioned fear responses. Behavioral modifications were associated with sex-specific hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) system alterations as indicated by plasma corticosterone and fecal corticosterone metabolite concentrations. Tph2\(^{-/-}\) males displayed increased impulsivity and high aggressiveness. Tph2\(^{-/-}\) females displayed greater emotional reactivity to aversive conditions as reflected by changes in behaviors at baseline including increased freezing and decreased locomotion in novel environments. However, both Tph2\(^{-/-}\) male and female mice were resilient to CMS-induced hyperlocomotion, while CMS intensified conditioned fear responses in a GxE-dependent manner. Conclusions Our results indicate that 5-HT mediates behavioral responses to environmental adversity by facilitating the encoding of stress effects leading to increased vulnerability for negative emotionality.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{WaiderPoppMlinaretal.2019,
  author    = {Waider, Jonas and Popp, Sandy and Mlinar, Boris and Montalbano, Alberto and Bonfiglio, Francesco and Aboagye, Benjamin and Thuy, Elisabeth and Kern, Raphael and Thiel, Christopher and Araragi, Naozumi and Svirin, Evgeniy and Schmitt-B{\"o}hrer, Angelika G. and Corradetti, Renato and Lowry, Christopher A. and Lesch, Klaus-Peter},
  title     = {Serotonin deficiency increases context-dependent fear learning through modulation of hippocampal activity},
  series = {Frontiers in Neuroscience},
  volume    = {13},
  journal   = {Frontiers in Neuroscience},
  number    = {245},
  issn      = {1662-453X},
  doi       = {10.3389/fnins.2019.00245},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-196077},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {Brain serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) system dysfunction is implicated in exaggerated fear responses triggering various anxiety-, stress-, and trauma-related disorders. However, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Here, we investigated the impact of constitutively inactivated 5-HT synthesis on context-dependent fear learning and extinction using tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (Tph2) knockout mice. Fear conditioning and context-dependent fear memory extinction paradigms were combined with c-Fos imaging and electrophysiological recordings in the dorsal hippocampus (dHip). Tph2 mutant mice, completely devoid of 5-HT synthesis in brain, displayed accelerated fear memory formation and increased locomotor responses to foot shock. Furthermore, recall of context-dependent fear memory was increased. The behavioral responses were associated with increased c-Fos expression in the dHip and resistance to foot shock-induced impairment of hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP). In conclusion, increased context-dependent fear memory resulting from brain 5-HT deficiency involves dysfunction of the hippocampal circuitry controlling contextual representation of fear-related behavioral responses.},
  language  = {en}
}