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Activin tunes GABAergic neurotransmission and modulates anxiety-like behavior

Zheng, F; Adelsberger, H; Müller, M R; Fritschy, J M; Werner, S; Alzheimer, C (2009). Activin tunes GABAergic neurotransmission and modulates anxiety-like behavior. Molecular Psychiatry, 14(3):332-346.

Abstract

Activin, a member of the transforming growth factor-beta superfamily, affords neuroprotection in acute brain injury, but its physiological functions in normal adult brain are largely unknown. Using transgenic (tg) mice expressing a dominant-negative activin receptor mutant under the control of the CaMKIIalpha promoter in forebrain neurons, we identified activin as a key regulator of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic synapses and anxiety-like behavior. In the open field, wild-type (wt) and tg mice did not differ in spontaneous locomotion and exploration behavior. However, tg mice visited inner fields significantly more often than wt mice. In the light-dark exploration test, tg mice made more exits, spent significantly more time on a well-lit elevated bar and went farther away from the dark box as compared to wt mice. In addition, the anxiolytic effect of diazepam was abrogated in tg mice. Thus the disruption of activin receptor signaling produced a low-anxiety phenotype that failed to respond to benzodiazepines. In whole-cell recordings from hippocampal pyramidal cells, enhanced spontaneous GABA release, increased GABA tonus, reduced benzodiazepine sensitivity and augmented GABA(B) receptor function emerged as likely substrates of the low-anxiety phenotype. These data provide strong evidence that activin influences pre- and postsynaptic components of GABAergic synapses in a highly synergistic fashion. Given the crucial role of GABAergic neurotransmission in emotional states, anxiety and depression, dysfunctions of activin receptor signaling could be involved in affective disorders: and drugs affecting this pathway might show promise for psychopharmacological treatment.Molecular Psychiatry advance online publication, 8 January 2008; doi:10.1038/sj.mp.4002131.

Additional indexing

Item Type:Journal Article, refereed, original work
Communities & Collections:04 Faculty of Medicine > Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology
07 Faculty of Science > Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Dewey Decimal Classification:570 Life sciences; biology
610 Medicine & health
Scopus Subject Areas:Life Sciences > Molecular Biology
Health Sciences > Psychiatry and Mental Health
Life Sciences > Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
Uncontrolled Keywords:activin, anxiety, GABAA- and GABAB receptors, benzodiazepines, inhibitory synapse, hippocampus
Language:English
Date:8 January 2009
Deposited On:11 Dec 2008 10:56
Last Modified:03 Jul 2025 03:30
Publisher:Nature Publishing Group
ISSN:1359-4184
OA Status:Closed
Publisher DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.mp.4002131
PubMed ID:18180762

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