title: Chronic stress triggers social aversion via glucocorticoid receptor in dopaminoceptive neurons.
abstract: Repeated traumatic events induce long-lasting behavioral changes that are key to organism adaptation and that affect cognitive, emotional, and social behaviors. Rodents subjected to repeated instances of aggression develop enduring social aversion and increased anxiety. Such repeated aggressions trigger a stress response, resulting in glucocorticoid release and activation of the ascending dopamine (DA) system. We bred mice with selective inactivation of the gene encoding the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) along the DA pathway, and exposed them to repeated aggressions. GR in dopaminoceptive but not DA-releasing neurons specifically promoted social aversion as well as dopaminergic neurochemical and electrophysiological neuroadaptations. Anxiety and fear memories remained unaffected. Acute inhibition of the activity of DA-releasing neurons fully restored social interaction in socially defeated wild-type mice. Our data suggest a GR-dependent neuronal dichotomy for the regulation of emotional and social behaviors, and clearly implicate GR as a link between stress resiliency and dopaminergic tone.
authors: Molecular Genetics, Neurophysiology and Behavior Group, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 7224, Paris, France. jacques.barik@snv.jussieu.fr
authors: Jacques
authors: J
authors: Barik
authors: Fabio
authors: F
authors: Marti
authors: Carole
authors: C
authors: Morel
authors: Sebastian P
authors: SP
authors: Fernandez
authors: Christophe
authors: C
authors: Lanteri
authors: Gérard
authors: G
authors: Godeheu
authors: Jean-Pol
authors: JP
authors: Tassin
authors: Cédric
authors: C
authors: Mombereau
authors: Philippe
authors: P
authors: Faure
authors: François
authors: F
authors: Tronche
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000378:metabolism*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D059290:Dopaminergic Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D005239:Fear; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012918:Social Alienation; D012934:Social Isolation; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C575863:NR3C1 protein, mouse; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid; D004298:Dopamine