A mediator of anxiety-like behavior identified!
The researchers leverage large-scale multiple brain region transcriptomics and molecular and behavioral experiments from male and female CRS mice to dissect brain-region- and sex-biased networks and key mediators of anxiety susceptibility.
They identify myocyte-specific enhancer factor 2c (Mef2c) of CA3 pyramidal neurons (PyNs) as a critical mediator of anxiety-like behavior in male mice.
The authors demonstrate that Mef2c expression is decreased in the pyramidal neurons (PyNs) of susceptible male mice and up-regulating Mef2c in CA3 PyNs significantly alleviates anxiety-like behavior, whereas down-regulating Mef2c induces anxiety-like behavior in male mice.
They also show that anxiolytic effect of Mef2c up-regulation is associated with enhanced neuronal excitability and synaptic transmission.
https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(24)00784-8
