title: Regulation of BDNF expression by cocaine.
abstract: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a member of the neurotrophin family of growth factors. It is expressed throughout the nervous system. A unique feature of the BDNF gene is the existence of multiple mRNA transcripts, all of which are translated into BDNF protein, suggesting a multilevel regulation of expression. In particular, the BDNF exon IV promoter region is a preferential target for epigenetic alterations, as it contains binding sites for CREB and MeCP2, two transcriptional regulators known to mediate epigenetic changes. Exposure to drugs of abuse is known to modulate epigenetic regulation of BDNF gene expression. This review will discuss how exposure to cocaine, one of the most addictive drugs known to mankind, can produce alterations in BDNF gene expression, especially in the mesolimbic dopaminergic system, which lead to alterations in the reward-mediated behaviors involved in addiction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, Florida, USA. McCarthy@med.fsu.edu
authors.forename: Deirdre M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: Amber N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Pradeep G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Bhide
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D003042:Cocaine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D005091:Exons; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D012377:Rodentia; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D003042:Cocaine; D004298:Dopamine