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Updated: Aug 7, 2026
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Measurements of Physiological Stress Responses in C. Elegans
Published on: May 21, 2020
Cocaine and amphetamine regulated transcript (CART) and the stress response
Ersin O Koylu1, Burcu Balkan, Michael J Kuhar
1Ege University Center for Brain Research, Department of Physiology, Bornova, 35100 Izmir, Turkey. ersin.koylu@ege.edu.tr
Peptides
|July 11, 2006
Summary
Cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) peptide plays a key role in the stress response. CART influences the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis and may mediate interactions between stress, drug abuse, and feeding behaviors.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Endocrinology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) is expressed in key brain regions involved in stress and reward.
- CART has a bidirectional relationship with the activity of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the established role of CART in the stress response.
- To explore CART's potential as a mediator peptide in the interplay between stress, drug abuse, and feeding.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on CART expression and function.
- Analysis of studies investigating CART's interaction with the HPA axis and stress exposure.
- Examination of CART's role in modulating feeding and drug abuse behaviors.
Main Results:
- CART is abundantly expressed in the paraventricular nucleus and locus coeruleus, major sources of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and noradrenaline.
- CART stimulates CRF, adrenocorticotropic hormone, and glucocorticoid secretion.
- CRF and glucocorticoids enhance CART gene transcription, while adrenalectomy reduces hypothalamic CART expression.
- Stress exposure differentially modulates CART expression in the rat hypothalamus and amygdala based on brain region and sex.
Conclusions:
- CART is intricately linked to the HPA axis and stress response.
- CART may serve as a crucial link between stress, addiction, and eating behaviors.
- Further research into CART's function could offer insights into therapeutic strategies for stress-related disorders.
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