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Early resource scarcity causes cortical astrocyte enlargement and sex-specific changes in the orbitofrontal cortex transcriptome in adult rats
Deckers, Claire Karbalaei, Reza Miles, Nylah A. Harder, Eden V. Witt, Emily Harris, Erin P. Reissner, Kathryn Wimmer, Mathieu E. Bangasser, Debra A.
Deckers, Claire
Karbalaei, Reza
Miles, Nylah A.
Harder, Eden V.
Witt, Emily
Harris, Erin P.
Reissner, Kathryn
Wimmer, Mathieu E.
Bangasser, Debra A.
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Journal article
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2024-01-15
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Psychology and Neuroscience
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100607
Abstract
Astrocyte morphology affects function, including the regulation of glutamatergic signaling. This morphology
changes dynamically in response to the environment. However, how early life manipulations alter adult cortical
astrocyte morphology is underexplored. Our lab uses brief postnatal resource scarcity, the limited bedding and
nesting (LBN) manipulation, in rats. We previously found that LBN augments maternal behaviors and promotes
later resilience to adult addiction-related behaviors, reducing impulsivity, risky decision-making, and morphine
self-administration. These behaviors rely on glutamatergic transmission in the medial orbitofrontal (mOFC) and
medial prefrontal (mPFC) cortex. Here we tested whether LBN changed astrocyte morphology in the mOFC and
mPFC of adult rats using a novel viral approach that, unlike traditional markers, fully labels astrocytes. Prior
exposure to LBN causes an increase in the surface area and volume of astrocytes in the mOFC and mPFC of adult
males and females relative to control-raised rats. We next used bulk RNA sequencing of OFC tissue to assess
transcriptional changes that could increase astrocyte size in LBN rats. LBN caused mainly sex-specific changes in
differentially expressed genes. Pathway analysis revealed that OFC glutamatergic signaling is altered by LBN in
males and females, but the gene changes in that pathway differed across sex. This may represent a convergent sex
difference where glutamatergic signaling, which affects astrocyte morphology, is altered by LBN via sex-specific
mechanisms. Collectively, these studies highlight that astrocytes may be an important cell type that mediates the
effect of early resource scarcity on adult brain function.
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Claire Deckers, Reza Karbalaei, Nylah A. Miles, Eden V. Harder, Emily Witt, Erin P. Harris, Kathryn Reissner, Mathieu E. Wimmer, Debra A. Bangasser, Early resource scarcity causes cortical astrocyte enlargement and sex-specific changes in the orbitofrontal cortex transcriptome in adult rats, Neurobiology of Stress, Volume 29, 2024, 100607, ISSN 2352-2895, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100607. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352289524000031)
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Elsevier
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Neurobiology of Stress, Vol. 29
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