Cited by 220Treatment of Major DepressionNeurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorStress Responses and Cortisol

∆FosB: A transcriptional regulator of stress and antidepressant responses

Open access
Nestler, Eric J.·2015·European Journal of Pharmacology

Abstract

ΔFosB is a member of the Fos family of transcription factors. While other family members are induced rapidly but transiently in response to a host of acute stimuli, ΔFosB is unique in that it accumulates in response to repeated stimulation due to its unusual protein stability. Such prolonged induction of ΔFosB, within nucleus accumbens (NAc), a key brain reward region, has been most studied in animal models of drug addiction, with considerable evidence indicating that ΔFosB promotes reward and motivation and serves as a mechanism of drug sensitization and increased drug self-administration. In more recent years, prolonged induction of ∆FosB has also been observed within NAc in response to chronic administration of certain forms of stress. Increasing evidence indicates that this induction represents a positive, homeostatic adaptation to chronic stress, since overexpression of ∆FosB in this brain region promotes resilience to stress, whereas blockade of its activity promotes stress susceptibility. Chronic administration of several antidepressant medications also induces ∆FosB in the NAc, and this induction is required for the therapeutic-like actions of these drugs in mouse models. Validation of these rodent findings is the demonstration that depressed humans, examined at autopsy, display reduced levels of ∆FosB within the NAc. As a transcription factor, ΔFosB produces this behavioral phenotype by regulating the expression of specific target genes, which are under current investigation. These studies of ΔFosB are providing new insight into the molecular basis of depression and antidepressant action, which is defining a host of new targets for possible therapeutic development.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.ejphar.2014.10.034

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  • FosB is linked to long-term activity levels.

    “Since FosB has been linked to long-term activity levels (Nestler, 2015)”

    From Perineuronal Nets Regulate the Inhibitory Perisomatic Input onto Parvalbumin Interneurons and γ Activity in the Prefrontal Cortex (2020) · cites this paper as Nestler, 2015

    Section 3 (page unavailable) links sustained neural activity to full-length FosB levels, but only as a possibility following repeated fluoxetine treatment in the nucleus accumbens; it says further work is needed to test that explanation. The unqualified claim that FosB is linked to long-term activity levels is broader than this tentative account. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Elevated levels of FOSB, PTGS2, IL8, FOS, IL1β, JUNB, and JUN have been associated with senescence and SASP secretion.

    “Elevated levels of each of these transcripts have been associated with senescence and SASP secretion [[98], [99], [100], [101], [102], [103], [104]]”

    From Evaluation of exploratory fluid biomarkers from a phase 1 senolytic trial in mild Alzheimer's disease (2025) · cites this paper as [99]

    Section 2 associates increased ΔFosB with chronic stress in the nucleus accumbens, not senescence. A search of our copy for senescence, SASP, and inflammatory secretion found no passage linking elevated FOSB to senescence or SASP secretion. (LLM, conf=0.75)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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2 of the 59 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 5

  1. Carle TL Ohnishi YN Ohnishi YH Alibhai IN Wilkinson MB Kumar A Nestler EJ 2007 Absence of conserved C-terminal degron domain contributes to ΔFosB’s unique stability Eur J Neurosci 25 3009 3019 17561814
  2. Chen J Kelz MB Hope BT Nakabeppu Y Nestler EJ 1997 Chronic FRAs: Stable variants of ΔFosB induced in brain by chronic treatments J Neurosci 17 4933 4941 9185531 PMC6573301
  3. Covington HE III Maze I LaPlant QC Vialou VF Yoshinori ON Berton O Fass DM Renthal W Rush AJ III Wu EY Ghose S Krishnan V Russo SJ Tamminga C Haggarty SJ Nestler EJ 2009 Antidepressant actions of HDAC inhibitors J Neurosci 29 11451 11460 19759294 PMC2775805
  4. Robison AJ Vialou V Mazei-Robison M Feng J Kourrich S Collins M Wee SM Koob G Turecki G Neve R Thomas M Nestler EJ 2013 Behavioral and structural responses to chronic cocaine require a feed-forward loop involving ΔFosB and CaMKII in the nucleus accumbens shell J Neurosci 33 4295 4307 23467346 PMC3658178
  5. Wilkinson MB Xiao GH Kumar A LaPlant Q Renthal W Sikder D Kodadek TJ Nestler EJ 2009 Imipramine treatment and resiliency exhibit similar chromatin regulation in a key brain reward region J Neurosci 29 7820 7832 19535594 PMC2717944

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Authors
Nestler, E. J.
Affiliations
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (US)
Corresponding author
Nestler, Eric J.
Venue
European Journal of Pharmacology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2015-04
Volume
753
Pages
66-72
ISSN
0014-2999 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2049704911
Cited by
220
References
59
Citations by year
2026: 17 · 2025: 32 · 2024: 28 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 22 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 10
FWCI
1.75
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • European Journal of Pharmacology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH51399 and P50MH096890)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Treatment of Major Depression
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
Keywords
ΔFosB, Fos family transcription factors, nucleus accumbens, chronic stress, antidepressant action, depression, drug addiction, drug sensitization, self-administration, stress resilience, protein stability, target gene regulation, reward and motivation
MeSH terms
Animals, Antidepressive Agents, Brain, Humans, Nucleus Accumbens, Stress, Psychological, Transcriptional Activation, Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos

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