Cited by 267Treatment of Major DepressionStress Responses and CortisolNeurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior

REDD1 is essential for stress-induced synaptic loss and depressive behavior

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Ota, Kristie T, Liu, Rong-Jian, Voleti, Bhavya, Maldonado-Aviles, Jaime G, Duric, Vanja, Iwata, Masaaki, Dutheil, Sophie, Duman, Catharine +7 more·2014·Nature Medicine

Abstract

Major depressive disorder (MDD) affects up to 17% of the population, causing profound personal suffering and economic loss. Clinical and preclinical studies have revealed that prolonged stress and MDD are associated with neuronal atrophy of cortical and limbic brain regions, but the molecular mechanisms underlying these morphological alterations have not yet been identified. Here, we show that stress increases levels of REDD1 (regulated in development and DNA damage responses-1), an inhibitor of mTORC1 (mammalian target of rapamycin complex-1; ref. 10), in rat prefrontal cortex (PFC). This is concurrent with a decrease in phosphorylation of signaling targets of mTORC1, which is implicated in protein synthesis-dependent synaptic plasticity. We also found that REDD1 levels are increased in the postmortem PFC of human subjects with MDD relative to matched controls. Mutant mice with a deletion of the gene encoding REDD1 are resilient to the behavioral, synaptic and mTORC1 signaling deficits caused by chronic unpredictable stress, whereas viral-mediated overexpression of REDD1 in rat PFC is sufficient to cause anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors and neuronal atrophy. Taken together, these postmortem and preclinical findings identify REDD1 as a critical mediator of the atrophy of neurons and depressive behavior caused by chronic stress exposure.

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Crossref · 10.1038/nm.3513

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  • Inhibition of mTORC1 decreases synapse formation in the PFC and is sufficient to cause depression-like behaviors in rodents in the absence of stress exposure, demonstrating a causal relationship between synapses and behavior.

    “and inhibition of mTORC1 decreases synapse formation in the PFC and is sufficient to cause depression-like behaviors in rodents in the absence of stress exposure, demonstrating a causal relationship between synapses and behavior.”

    From Neuroplasticity in cognitive and psychological mechanisms of depression: an integrative model (2020) · cites this paper as [28]

    The paper’s AAV-REDD1 experiment (section labeled Abstract; no page available) reports that REDD1 overexpression in rat medial PFC inhibited mTORC1 signaling, reduced mature dendritic-spine density, and produced depressive-like behaviors. It supports the claim’s core finding in rats without reported stress exposure, but measured spine loss rather than decreased synapse formation and did not establish that the spine changes themselves caused the behaviors. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Postmortem PFC of human subjects with Major Depressive Disorder has reduced levels of BDNF, elevated levels of REDD1, and decreased levels of mTOR.

    “postmortem PFC of human subjects with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), similar to stressed rodents, have reduced levels of BDNF,168–173 elevated levels of REDD1,92 and decreased levels of mTOR.92,169”

    From Chronic Stress Weakens Connectivity in the Prefrontal Cortex: Architectural and Molecular Changes. (2021) · cites this paper as [92]

    In the postmortem dlPFC analysis (page unavailable), REDD1 mRNA was significantly elevated in the combined MDD cohorts. The paper reports only a nonsignificant trend toward lower mTOR mRNA (p = 0.098), so the unqualified claim of decreased mTOR levels overstates its finding. The BDNF clause is cited to other sources in the citing sentence, not to this paper. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Sustained stress exposure induces loss of dendrites and spines in layer II/III pyramidal cells of rodent PFC and loss of the dendritic tufts of layer V pyramidal cells.

    “Sustained stress exposure induces loss of dendrites and spines in layer II/III pyramidal cells of rodent PFC70–73 and loss of the dendritic tufts of layer V pyramidal cells74.”

    From Stress weakens prefrontal networks: molecular insults to higher cognition (2015) · cites this paper as [74]

    The paper reports that chronic unpredictable stress reduces spine synapses and spine density in the distal tufts of layer V pyramidal neurons in rodent medial PFC (passage [5], section labeled Abstract; page unavailable). It does not report loss of the dendritic tufts themselves. Citation 74 is attached to the layer V clause, so the separately cited layer II/III clause is not part of this verdict. (LLM, conf=0.85)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • mTor signaling increases spine generation in the apical tuft of layer V pyramidal cells in the rat PFC.

    “Recent studies have shown that mTor (mammalian target of rapamycin) signaling increases spine generation in the apical tuft of layer V pyramidal cells in the rat PFC and that stress exposure inhibits this effect by increasing the expression of REDD1 (regulated in development and DNA damage responses 1) (Fig. 4, pink)74.”

    From Stress weakens prefrontal networks: molecular insults to higher cognition (2015) · cites this paper as [74]

    The paper states that rapid-acting antidepressants increase mTORC1 signaling and synaptogenesis in rat PFC, and reports that chronic stress raises REDD1 in rat PFC. It also reports stress-related spine loss in apical tufts of layer V neurons and protection in REDD1-knockout mice. It does not establish that increased mTOR signaling specifically generates spines in the apical tufts of rat layer V neurons, so the citing sentence combines findings at different levels of specificity. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Virus-mediated overexpression of REDD1 in the rat PFC is sufficient to cause anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors and neuronal atrophy.

    “Virus-mediated overexpression of REDD1 in the rat PFC is sufficient to cause anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors and neuronal atrophy. 199”

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Authors
Ota, K. T., Liu, R.-J., Voleti, B., Maldonado-Aviles, J. G., Duric, V., Iwata, M., Dutheil, S., Duman, C., Boikess, S., Lewis, D. A., Stockmeier, C. A., DiLeone, R. J., Rex, C., Aghajanian, G. K., & Duman, R. S.
Affiliations
  • Yale University (US)
  • Afraxis (United States) (US)
  • University of Pittsburgh (US)
  • University of Mississippi Medical Center (US)
Corresponding author
Duman, Ronald S
Venue
Nature Medicine
Published
2014-04-13
Volume
20
Issue
5
Pages
531-535
ISSN
  • 1078-8956 (ISSN-L)
  • 1546-170X
OpenAlex
W2093932385
Cited by
267
References
33
Citations by year
2026: 12 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 38 · 2020: 26 · 2019: 27 · 2018: 17 · 2017: 25 · 2016: 22 · 2015: 26 · 2014: 5
FWCI
18.89
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (UL1TR000142)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH093897, R37MH45481, F32MH98513, R37MH045481, R01MH93897, F32MH098513, R01MH105910)
  • National Institute of General Medical Sciences (P30GM103328)
  • National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Treatment of Major Depression
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
Keywords
REDD1, major depressive disorder, chronic stress, depression, synaptic loss, neuronal atrophy, mTORC1 signaling, prefrontal cortex, stress resilience, synaptic plasticity, protein synthesis, anxiety-like behavior, chronic unpredictable mild stress
MeSH terms
Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 1, Animals, Anxiety Disorders, Major Depressive Disorder, Humans, Neurons, Synapses, Transcription Factors, Signal Transduction, Prefrontal Cortex, Multiprotein Complexes, Mice, Rats, TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases

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