title: Low prefrontal PSA-NCAM confers risk for alcoholism-related behavior.
abstract: The factors underlying vulnerability to alcoholism are largely unknown. We identified in rodents an innate endophenotype predicting individual risk for alcohol-related behaviors that was associated with decreased expression of the neuroplasticity-related polysialylated neural cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM). Depletion of PSA-NCAM in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex was sufficient to render mice unable to extinguish alcohol seeking, indicating a causal role of naturally occurring variation. These data suggest a mechanism of aberrant prefrontal neuroplasticity that underlies enhanced propensity for inflexible addiction-related behavior.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center for Genes and Behavior, Yale University School of Medicine, Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
authors.forename: Jacqueline M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Barker
authors.forename: Mary M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Torregrossa
authors.forename: Jane R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology*; D000818:Animals; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003463:Cues; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D005108:Extinction, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006026:Glycoside Hydrolases / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D039842:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule L1 / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D012646:Self Administration; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D014163:Transfer, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D039842:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule L1; D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules; D012794:Sialic Acids; C103469:polysialyl neural cell adhesion molecule; D000431:Ethanol; D006026:Glycoside Hydrolases; C090534:endo-alpha-sialidase