Hao B, Fan BF, Cao CC, Liu L, Xuan SM, Wang L, Gao ZJ, Shi YW, Wang XG, Zhao H. Genes and pathways associated with fear discrimination identified by genome-wide DNA methylation and RNA-seq analyses in nucleus accumbens in mice.
Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2023;
120:110643. [PMID:
36152737 DOI:
10.1016/j.pnpbp.2022.110643]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Fear memory is critical for individual survival. However, the maladaptive fear response is one of the hallmarks of fear-related disorders, which is characterized by the failure to discriminate threatening signals from neutral or safe cues. The biological mechanisms of fear discrimination remain to be clarified. In this study, we found that the nucleus accumbens (NAc) was indispensable for the formation of cued fear memory in mice, during which the expression of DNA methyltransferase 3a gene (DNMT3a) increased. Injection of Zebularine, a nonspecific DNMT inhibitor, into NAc immediately after conditioning induced a maladaptive fear response to neutral cue (CS-). Using whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS), differentially methylated sites and methylated regions (DMRs) were investigated. 16,226 DMRs in the genenome were identified, in which, 214 genes with significant differences in their methylation levels and mRNA expression profiles were identified through correlation analysis. Notably, 15 genes were synaptic function-related and 8 genes were enriched in the cGMP-PKG signaling pathway. Moreover, inhibition of PKG impaired fear discrimination. Together, our results revealed the profile and role of genome-wide DNA methylation in NAc in the regulation of fear discrimination.
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