TY - JOUR
T1 - Programming of stress-sensitive neurons and circuits by early-life experiences
AU - Bolton, Jessica L.
AU - Short, Annabel Katherine
AU - Simeone, Kristina A.
AU - Daglian, Jennifer
AU - Baram, Tallie Z.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants P50 MH096889 and MH073136 and the Hewitt Foundation for Biomedical Research. The funders did not play any role in the design or interpretation of experiments.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Bolton, Short, Simeone, Daglian and Baram.
PY - 2019/2/18
Y1 - 2019/2/18
N2 - Early-life experiences influence brain structure and function long-term, contributing to resilience or vulnerability to stress and stress-related disorders. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms by which early-life experiences program specific brain cells and circuits to shape life-long cognitive and emotional functions is crucial. We identify the population of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)-expressing neurons in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) as a key, early target of early-life experiences. Adverse experiences increase excitatory neurotransmission onto PVN CRH cells, whereas optimal experiences, such as augmented and predictable maternal care, reduce the number and function of glutamatergic inputs onto this cell population. Altered synaptic neurotransmission is sufficient to initiate large-scale, enduring epigenetic re-programming within CRH-expressing neurons, associated with stress resilience and additional cognitive and emotional outcomes. Thus, the mechanisms by which early-life experiences influence the brain provide tractable targets for intervention.
AB - Early-life experiences influence brain structure and function long-term, contributing to resilience or vulnerability to stress and stress-related disorders. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms by which early-life experiences program specific brain cells and circuits to shape life-long cognitive and emotional functions is crucial. We identify the population of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)-expressing neurons in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) as a key, early target of early-life experiences. Adverse experiences increase excitatory neurotransmission onto PVN CRH cells, whereas optimal experiences, such as augmented and predictable maternal care, reduce the number and function of glutamatergic inputs onto this cell population. Altered synaptic neurotransmission is sufficient to initiate large-scale, enduring epigenetic re-programming within CRH-expressing neurons, associated with stress resilience and additional cognitive and emotional outcomes. Thus, the mechanisms by which early-life experiences influence the brain provide tractable targets for intervention.
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U2 - 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00030
DO - 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00030
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85064197246
VL - 13
JO - Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience
JF - Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience
SN - 1662-5153
M1 - 30
ER -