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Published on: July 30, 2013
Regulation of BDNF expression by cocaine
Deirdre M McCarthy1, Amber N Brown, Pradeep G Bhide
1Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, Florida, USA. McCarthy@med.fsu.edu
The Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine
|December 15, 2012
Summary
Cocaine exposure alters brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene expression in the reward system. These epigenetic changes in BDNF impact behaviors associated with addiction.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is crucial for nervous system function.
- BDNF exhibits complex gene regulation with multiple mRNA transcripts.
- The BDNF gene's exon IV promoter is susceptible to epigenetic modifications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review how cocaine exposure affects BDNF gene expression.
- To examine epigenetic mechanisms regulating BDNF in addiction.
- To understand BDNF's role in cocaine-induced behavioral changes.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on BDNF gene regulation.
- Analysis of epigenetic alterations in the BDNF gene.
- Focus on the mesolimbic dopaminergic system's response to cocaine.
Main Results:
- Cocaine exposure modulates epigenetic regulation of BDNF.
- Alterations in BDNF expression occur in key brain reward pathways.
- These changes are linked to the development of addiction.
Conclusions:
- Epigenetic modifications of the BDNF gene by cocaine contribute to addiction.
- Understanding these mechanisms can inform addiction treatment strategies.
- BDNF plays a significant role in the neurobiology of addiction.
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