Blood Plasma Markers in Depressed Mice under Chronic Social Defeat Stress.

It has previously been shown that, in mice, chronic social defeat stress in daily agonistic interactions leads to a depression-like state similar to that in depressive patients. With this model, it has become obvious that it is possible to study peripheral markers of the depression-like state in an experiment. This paper was aimed at searching for protein markers in the blood plasma of depressed mice in the chronic social conflict model, which allows for us to obtain male mice with repeated experiences of defeat.

Effects of Positive Fighting Experience and Its Subsequent Deprivation on the Expression Profile of Mouse Hippocampal Genes Associated with Neurogenesis.

The hippocampus is known as the brain region implicated in visuospatial processes and processes associated with learning and short- and long-term memory. An important functional characteristic of the hippocampus is lifelong neurogenesis. A decrease or increase in adult hippocampal neurogenesis is associated with a wide range of neurological diseases.

Altered Expression of Genes Associated with Major Neurotransmitter Systems in the Reward-Related Brain Regions of Mice with Positive Fighting Experience.

The main neurotransmitters in the brain-dopamine, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate, and opioids-are recognized to be the most important for the regulation of aggression and addiction. The aim of this work was to study differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the main reward-related brain regions, including the ventral tegmental area (VTA), dorsal striatum (STR), ventral striatum (nucleus accumbens, NAcc), prefrontal cortex (PFC), and midbrain raphe nuclei (MRNs), in male mice with 20-day positive fighting experience in daily agonistic interactions. Expression of opioidergic, catecholaminergic, glutamatergic, and GABAergic genes was analyzed to confirm or refute the influence of repeated positive fighting experience on the development of "addiction-like" signs shown in our previous studies.

The Dysfunction of Carcinogenesis- and Apoptosis-Associated Genes that Develops in the Hypothalamus under Chronic Social Defeat Stress in Male Mice.

Chronic social stress caused by daily agonistic interactions in male mice leads to a mixed anxiety/depression-like disorder that is accompanied by the development of psychogenic immunodeficiency and stimulation of oncogenic processes concurrently with many neurotranscriptomic changes in brain regions. The aim of the study was to identify carcinogenesis- and apoptosis-associated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the hypothalamus of male mice with depression-like symptoms and, for comparison, in aggressive male mice with positive social experience. To obtain two groups of animals with the opposite 20-day social experiences, a model of chronic social conflict was used.

Correlation of Expression Changes between Genes Controlling 5-HT Synthesis and Genes and in the Midbrain Raphe Nuclei of Chronically Aggressive and Defeated Male Mice.

Midbrain raphe nuclei (MRNs) contain a large number of serotonergic neurons associated with the regulation of numerous types of psychoemotional states and physiological processes. The aim of this work was to study alterations of the MRN transcriptome in mice with prolonged positive or negative fighting experience and to identify key gene networks associated with the regulation of serotonergic system functioning. Numerous genes underwent alterations of transcription in the MRNs of male mice that either manifested aggression or experienced social defeat in daily agonistic interactions.

Chronic Lithium Treatment Affects Anxious Behaviors and theExpression of Serotonergic Genes in Midbrain Raphe Nuclei of Defeated Male Mice.

There is experimental evidence that chronic social defeat stress is accompanied by the development of an anxiety, development of a depression-like state, and downregulation of serotonergic genes in midbrain raphe nuclei of male mice. Our study was aimed at investigating the effects of chronic lithium chloride (LiCl) administration on anxiety behavior and the expression of serotonergic genes in midbrain raphe nuclei of the affected mice. A pronounced anxiety-like state in male mice was induced by chronic social defeat stress in daily agonistic interactions.

Development of Mixed Anxiety/Depression-Like State as a Consequence of Chronic Anxiety: Review of Experimental Data.

The review presents experimental data considered from the point of view of dynamic changes in the brain neurochemistry, physiology, and behavior of animals during the development of mixed anxiety/depression-like disorder caused by chronic social stress from norm to severe psychopathology. Evidences are presented to support the hypothesis that chronic anxiety rather than social defeat stress is an etiological factor in depression. The consequences of chronic anxiety for human health and social life are discussed.

Reduced Expression of Genes in the VTA and NAcc of Male Mice with Positive Fighting Experience.

A range of several psychiatric medications targeting the activity of solute carrier (SLC) transporters have proved effective for treatment. Therefore, further research is needed to elucidate the expression profiles of the genes, which may serve as markers of altered brain metabolic processes and neurotransmitter activities in psychoneurological disorders. We studied the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) using transcriptomic profiles in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), nucleus accumbens (NAcc), and prefrontal cortex (PFC) of control and aggressive male mice with psychosis-like behavior induced by repeated experience of aggression accompanied with wins in daily agonistic interactions.

Dopamine response gene pathways in dorsal striatum MSNs from a gene expression viewpoint: cAMP-mediated gene networks.

Background: Medium spiny neurons (MSNs) comprise the main body (95% in mouse) of the dorsal striatum neurons and represent dopaminoceptive GABAergic neurons. The cAMP (cyclic Adenosine MonoPhosphate)-mediated cascade of excitation and inhibition responses observed in MSN intracellular signal transduction is crucial for neuroscience research due to its involvement in the motor and behavioral functions. In particular, all types of addictions are related to MSNs.

Aberrant Expression of Collagen Gene Family in the Brain Regions of Male Mice with Behavioral Psychopathologies Induced by Chronic Agonistic Interactions.

Chronic agonistic interactions promote the development of experimental psychopathologies in animals: a depression-like state in chronically defeated mice and the pathology of aggressive behavior in the mice with repeated wins. The abundant research data indicate that such psychopathological states are associated with significant molecular and cellular changes in the brain. This paper aims to study the influence of a 20-day period of agonistic interactions on the expression patterns of collagen family genes encoding the proteins which are basic components of extracellular matrix (ECM) in different brain regions of mice using the RNA-Seq database.

Altered Slc25 family gene expression as markers of mitochondrial dysfunction in brain regions under experimental mixed anxiety/depression-like disorder.

Background: Development of anxiety- and depression-like states under chronic social defeat stress in mice has been shown by many experimental studies. In this article, the differentially expressed Slc25* family genes encoding mitochondrial carrier proteins were analyzed in the brain of depressive (defeated) mice versus aggressive mice winning in everyday social confrontations. The collected samples of brain regions were sequenced at JSC Genoanalytica ( http://genoanalytica.

RNA-Seq Mouse Brain Regions Expression Data Analysis: Focus on ApoE Functional Network.

ApoE expression status was proved to be a highly specific marker of energy metabolism rate in the brain. Along with its neighbor, Translocase of Outer Mitochondrial Membrane 40 kDa (TOMM40) which is involved in mitochondrial metabolism, the corresponding genomic region constitutes the neuroenergetic hotspot. Using RNA-Seq data from a murine model of chronic stress a significant positive expression coordination of seven neighboring genes in ApoE locus in five brain regions was observed.

Heterogeneity of Brain Ribosomal Genes Expression Following Positive Fighting Experience in Male Mice as Revealed by RNA-Seq.

Repeated positive fighting experience in daily agonistic interactions is accompanied by changes of brain neurotransmitter activity and genes' expression in male mice. This paper is focused on the analysis of ribosomal genes expression data as revealed by whole-transcriptome analysis (RNA-Seq) in five brain regions of male mice with long repeated experience of aggression accompanied by wins (winners). Downregulation of most Rps, Rpl, Mrps, and Mrpl genes was found in the midbrain raphe nuclei and striatum and upregulation-in the hippocampus and hypothalamus of the winners.

Dysfunction in Ribosomal Gene Expression in the Hypothalamus and Hippocampus following Chronic Social Defeat Stress in Male Mice as Revealed by RNA-Seq.

Chronic social defeat stress leads to the development of anxiety- and depression-like states in male mice and is accompanied by numerous molecular changes in brain. The influence of 21-day period of social stress on ribosomal gene expression in five brain regions was studied using the RNA-Seq database. Most Rps, Rpl, Mprs, and Mprl genes were upregulated in the hypothalamus and downregulated in the hippocampus, which may indicate ribosomal dysfunction following chronic social defeat stress.

Altered Hippocampal Neurogenesis and Amygdalar Neuronal Activity in Adult Mice with Repeated Experience of Aggression.

Repeated experience of winning in a social conflict setting elevates levels of aggression and may lead to violent behavioral patterns. Here, we use a paradigm of repeated aggression and fighting deprivation to examine changes in behavior, neurogenesis, and neuronal activity in mice with positive fighting experience. We show that for males, repeated positive fighting experience induces persistent demonstration of aggression and stereotypic behaviors in daily agonistic interactions, enhances aggressive motivation, and elevates levels of anxiety.

Repeated positive fighting experience in male inbred mice.

Repeated aggression is a frequent symptom of many psychiatric and neurological disorders, including obsessive-compulsive and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders, bipolar and post-traumatic stress disorders, epilepsy, autism, schizophrenia and drug abuse. However, repeated aggression is insufficiently studied because there is a lack of adequate models in animals. The sensory contact model (SCM), widely used to study the effects of chronic social defeat stress, can also be used to investigate the effects of repeated aggression.

A comparative study of phase States of the peribacteroid membrane from yellow lupin and broad bean nodules.

A comparative study of the lipid bilayer phase status and structure of the outer membrane of free-living Bradyrhizobium strain 359a (Nod(+)Fix(+)) and 400 (Nod(+)FixL) or Rhizobium leguminosarum 97 (Nod(+)Fix(+), effective) and 87 (Nod(+)FixL, ineffective) has been carried out. Also, the effect of the symbiotic pair combination on the lipid bilayer structure of the bacteroid outer membrane and peribacteroid membrane, isolated from the nodules of Lupinus luteus L. or Vicia faba L.

Extended effect of chronic social defeat stress in childhood on behaviors in adulthood.

Individuals exposed to social stress in childhood are more predisposed to developing psychoemotional disorders in adulthood. Here we use an animal model to determine the influence of hostile social environment in adolescence on behavior during adult life. One-month-old adolescent male mice were placed for 2 weeks in a common cage with an adult aggressive male.

Downregulation of serotonergic gene expression in the Raphe nuclei of the midbrain under chronic social defeat stress in male mice.

There is ample experimental evidence supporting the hypothesis that the brain serotonergic system is involved in the control of chronic social defeat stress (CSDS), depression, and anxiety. The study aimed to analyze mRNA levels of the serotonergic genes in the raphe nuclei of midbrain that may be associated with chronic social defeats consistently shown by male mice in special experimental settings. The serotonergic genes were the Tph2, Sert, Maoa, and Htr1a.

Comparative analyses of exoproteinases produced by three phytopathogenic microorganisms.

Proteinases secreted by the oomycete Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary, Rhizoctonia solani, and Fusarium culmorum belonging to different families of fungi have been studied to determine if the exoenzyme secretion depends on the environmental conditions and the phylogenetic position of the pathogen. The substrate specificity of the extracellular proteinases of F.

Snca and Bdnf gene expression in the VTA and raphe nuclei of midbrain in chronically victorious and defeated male mice.

Background: Alpha-synuclein (α-Syn) is a small neuronal protein that has been found to be expressed throughout the brain. It has been shown that α-Syn regulates the homeostasis of monoamine neurotransmitters and is involved in various degenerative and affective disorders. There is indication that α-Syn may regulate expression of the brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) which plays an important role in the mood disorders.

Modeling fighting deprivation effect in mouse repeated aggression paradigm.

Male mice with a long positive fighting history develop behavioral psychopathology, which includes abnormal aggression, hostility, hyperactivity, stereotypic reactions and other behavioral phenotypes. We also found that the "winners" (mice that had each won 20 daily encounters in succession) develop an enhanced level of aggression after a no-fight period, compared to their respective levels of aggressive behavior before the fighting deprivation. Natural hedonic stimuli (such as access to females or sweet water), supplied to the winners during this no-fight period, appear to play a minor role in triggering this phenomenon.

Molecular implications of repeated aggression: Th, Dat1, Snca and Bdnf gene expression in the VTA of victorious male mice.

Background: It is generally recognized that recurrent aggression can be the result of various psychiatric disorders. The aim of our study was to analyze the mRNA levels, in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of the midbrain, of the genes that may possibly be associated with aggression consistently shown by male mice in special experimental settings.

Methodology/principal Findings: The genes were Th, Dat1, Snca and Bdnf; the male mice were a group of animals that had each won 20 daily encounters in succession and a group of animals that had the same winning track record followed by a no-fight period for 14 days.

Decrease of kappa-opioid receptor mRNA level in ventral tegmental area of male mice after repeated experience of aggression.

Brain opioid systems have been implicated in the regulation of social interaction, including agonistic behaviour. kappa-Opioid receptor B and C mRNA levels were decreased in the ventral tegmental area but not in the nucleus accumbens in male mice with repeated experience of social victories (winners), but not in mice after social defeats (losers) after 10 but not 20 days of confrontations. mu-Opioid receptor mRNA levels were not changed.