Cited by 158Treatment of Major DepressionMicroRNA in disease regulationStress Responses and Cortisol

Hippocampal MicroRNA-124 Enhances Chronic Stress Resilience in Mice

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Higuchi, F., Uchida, S., Yamagata, H., Abe-Higuchi, N., Hobara, T., Hara, K., Kobayashi, A., Shintaku, T. +3 more·2016·Journal of Neuroscience

Abstract

UNLABELLED: Chronic stress-induced aberrant gene expression in the brain and subsequent dysfunctional neuronal plasticity have been implicated in the etiology and pathophysiology of mood disorders. In this study, we examined whether altered expression of small, regulatory, noncoding microRNAs (miRNAs) contributes to the depression-like behaviors and aberrant neuronal plasticity associated with chronic stress. Mice exposed to chronic ultra-mild stress (CUMS) exhibited increased depression-like behaviors and reduced hippocampal expression of the brain-enriched miRNA-124 (miR-124). Aberrant behaviors and dysregulated miR-124 expression were blocked by chronic treatment with an antidepressant drug. The depression-like behaviors are likely not conferred directly by miR-124 downregulation because neither viral-mediated hippocampal overexpression nor intrahippocampal infusion of an miR-124 inhibitor affected depression-like behaviors in nonstressed mice. However, viral-mediated miR-124 overexpression in hippocampal neurons conferred behavioral resilience to CUMS, whereas inhibition of miR-124 led to greater behavioral susceptibility to a milder stress paradigm. Moreover, we identified histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4), HDAC5, and glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) as targets for miR-124 and found that intrahippocampal infusion of a selective HDAC4/5 inhibitor or GSK3 inhibitor had antidepressant-like actions on behavior. We propose that miR-124-mediated posttranscriptional controls of HDAC4/5 and GSK3β expressions in the hippocampus have pivotal roles in susceptibility/resilience to chronic stress. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Depressive disorders are a major public health concern worldwide. Although a clear understanding of the etiology of depression is still lacking, chronic stress-elicited aberrant neuronal plasticity has been implicated in the pathophysiology of depression. We show that the hippocampal expression of microRNA-124 (miR-124), an endogenous small, noncoding RNA that represses gene expression posttranscriptionally, controls resilience/susceptibility to chronic stress-induced depression-like behaviors. These effects on depression-like behaviors may be mediated through regulation of the mRNA or protein expression levels of histone deacetylases HDAC4/5 and glycogen synthase kinase 3β, all highly conserved miR-124 targets. Moreover, miR-124 contributes to stress-induced dendritic hypotrophy and reduced spine density of dentate gyrus granule neurons. Modulation of hippocampal miR-124 pathways may have potential antidepressant effects.

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Authors
Higuchi, F., Uchida, S., Yamagata, H., Abe-Higuchi, N., Hobara, T., Hara, K., Kobayashi, A., Shintaku, T., Itoh, Y., Suzuki, T., & Watanabe, Y.
Affiliations
  • Yamaguchi University (JP)
  • Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine (JP)
Venue
Journal of Neuroscience
Published
2016-07-06
Volume
36
Issue
27
Pages
7253-7267
ISSN
  • 0270-6474 (ISSN-L)
  • 1529-2401
OpenAlex
W2474895768
Cited by
158
References
81
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 21 · 2018: 17 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 2
FWCI
15.36
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • 日本生物学的精神医学会(Web)
Funders
  • Takeda Science Foundation
  • Uehara Memorial Foundation
  • Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
  • SENSHIN Medical Research Foundation
  • Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
  • Japan Science and Technology Agency
  • Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Treatment of Major Depression
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cancer Research › MicroRNA in disease regulation
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
Keywords
chronic stress, depression-like behavior, stress resilience, hippocampus, glycogen synthase kinase-3β, post-transcriptional regulation, neuroplasticity, antidepressant-like effects, viral overexpression, mood disorders, histone deacetylase inhibition, GSK-3β inhibition, chronic unpredictable mild stress, miRNA target genes, depression pathophysiology
MeSH terms
Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta, Animals, Antidepressive Agents, Depression, Disease Models, Animal, Food Preferences, Gene Expression Regulation, Hippocampus, Histone Deacetylases, Imipramine, Male, Mice, Inbred BALB C, Neurons, Stress, Psychological, Oligodeoxyribonucleotides, Antisense, Fluoroquinolones, MicroRNAs, Mice, Topoisomerase II Inhibitors

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