Microarray analysis reveals distinctive signaling between the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, nucleus accumbens, and dorsal striatum

Authors

Christopher M. Olsen, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Yong Pandey, University of Memphis
Shirlean Goodwin, University of Memphis
Daniel C. Ciobanu, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Lu Lu, University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Thomas R. Sutter, University of Memphis
Danny G. Winder, Vanderbilt University School of MedicineFollow

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2008

Citation

Physiol Genomics 32: pp. 283–298, 2008. doi:10.1152/physiolgenomics.00224.2006.

Comments

Copyright © 2008 the American Physiological Society. Used by permission.

Abstract

Microarray analysis reveals distinctive signaling between the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, nucleus accumbens, and dorsal striatum. Physiol Genomics 32: 283–298, 2008. First published October 2, 2006; doi:10.1152/physiolgenomics.00224.2006.—To identify distinct transcriptional patterns between the major subcortical dopamine targets commonly studied in addiction we studied differences in gene expression between the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), nucleus accumbens (NAc), and dorsal striatum (dStr) using microarray analysis. We first tested for differences in expression of genes encoding transcripts for common neurotransmitter systems as well as calcium binding proteins routinely used in neuroanatomical delineation of brain regions. This a priori method revealed differential expression of corticotropin releasing hormone (Crh), the GABA transporter (Slc6a1), and prodynorphin (Pdyn) mRNAs as well as several others. Using a gene ontology tool, functional scoring analysis, and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis, we further identified several physiological pathways that were distinct among these brain regions. These two different analyses both identified calcium signaling, G-coupled protein receptor signaling, and adenylate cyclaserelated signaling as significantly different among the BNST, NAc, and dStr. These types of signaling pathways play important roles in, amongst other things, synaptic plasticity. Investigation of differential gene expression revealed several instances that may provide insight into reported differences in synaptic plasticity between these brain regions. The results support other studies suggesting that crucial pathways involved in neurotransmission are distinct among the BNST, NAc, and dStr and provide insight into the potential use of pharmacological agents that may target region-specific signaling pathways. Furthermore, these studies provide a framework for future mouse-mouse comparisons of transcriptional profiles after behavioral/pharmacological manipulation.