Low prefrontal PSA-NCAM confers risk for alcoholism-related behavior

Nat Neurosci. 2012 Oct;15(10):1356-8. doi: 10.1038/nn.3194. Epub 2012 Aug 26.

Abstract

The factors underlying vulnerability to alcoholism are largely unknown. We identified in rodents an innate endophenotype predicting individual risk for alcohol-related behaviors that was associated with decreased expression of the neuroplasticity-related polysialylated neural cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM). Depletion of PSA-NCAM in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex was sufficient to render mice unable to extinguish alcohol seeking, indicating a causal role of naturally occurring variation. These data suggest a mechanism of aberrant prefrontal neuroplasticity that underlies enhanced propensity for inflexible addiction-related behavior.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alcoholism / metabolism*
  • Alcoholism / psychology*
  • Animals
  • Behavior, Addictive / metabolism
  • Behavior, Addictive / physiopathology*
  • Cues
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Ethanol / administration & dosage
  • Ethanol / pharmacology
  • Extinction, Psychological / drug effects
  • Extinction, Psychological / physiology
  • Glycoside Hydrolases / pharmacology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred ICR
  • Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule L1 / metabolism
  • Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule L1 / physiology*
  • Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules / metabolism
  • Neuronal Plasticity / physiology
  • Prefrontal Cortex / drug effects
  • Prefrontal Cortex / metabolism
  • Prefrontal Cortex / physiology*
  • Self Administration
  • Sialic Acids / metabolism
  • Sialic Acids / physiology*
  • Transfer, Psychology / drug effects
  • Transfer, Psychology / physiology

Substances

  • Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule L1
  • Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules
  • Sialic Acids
  • polysialyl neural cell adhesion molecule
  • Ethanol
  • Glycoside Hydrolases
  • endo-alpha-sialidase