RGD Reference Report - Differential effects of chronic ethanol consumption and withdrawal on homer/glutamate receptor expression in subregions of the accumbens and amygdala of P rats. - Rat Genome Database

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Differential effects of chronic ethanol consumption and withdrawal on homer/glutamate receptor expression in subregions of the accumbens and amygdala of P rats.

Authors: Obara, I  Bell, RL  Goulding, SP  Reyes, CM  Larson, LA  Ary, AW  Truitt, WA  Szumlinski, KK 
Citation: Obara I, etal., Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2009 Nov;33(11):1924-34. Epub 2009 Aug 10.
RGD ID: 2325958
Pubmed: PMID:19673743   (View Abstract at PubMed)
PMCID: PMC2873844   (View Article at PubMed Central)
DOI: DOI:10.1111/j.1530-0277.2009.01030.x   (Journal Full-text)

BACKGROUND: Homer proteins are constituents of scaffolding complexes that regulate the trafficking and function of central Group1 metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) and N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. Research supports the involvement of these proteins in ethanol-induced neuroplasticity in mouse. In this study, we examined the effects of short versus long-term withdrawal from chronic ethanol consumption on Homer and glutamate receptor protein expression within striatal and amygdala subregions of selectively bred, alcohol-preferring P rats. METHODS: For 6 months, male P rats had concurrent access to 15% and 30% ethanol solutions under intermittent (IA: 4 d/wk) or continuous (CA: 7 d/wk) access conditions in their home cage. Rats were killed 24 hours (short withdrawal: SW) or 4 weeks (long withdrawal: LW) after termination of ethanol access, subregions of interest were micropunched and tissue processed for detection of Group1 mGluRs, NR2 subunits of the NMDA receptor and Homer protein expression. RESULTS: Within the nucleus accumbens (NAC), limited changes in NR2a and NR2b expression were detected in the shell (NACsh), whereas substantial changes were observed for Homer2a/b, mGluRs as well as NR2a and NR2b subunits in the core (NACc). Within the amygdala, no changes were detected in the basolateral subregion, whereas substantial changes, many paralleling those observed in the NACc, were detected in the central nucleus (CeA) subregion. In addition, most of the changes observed in the CeA, but not NACc, were present in both SW and LW rats. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, these subregion specific, ethanol-induced increases in mGluR/Homer2/NR2 expression within the NAC and amygdala suggest changes in glutamatergic plasticity had taken place. This may be a result of learning and subsequent memory formation of ethanol's rewarding effects in these brain structures, which may, in part, mediate the chronic relapsing nature of alcohol abuse.

Gene Ontology Annotations    Click to see Annotation Detail View

Biological Process
TermQualifierEvidenceWithReferenceNotesSourceOriginal Reference(s)
response to ethanol  IEP 2325958; 2325958 RGD 

Objects Annotated

Genes (Rattus norvegicus)
Grin2a  (glutamate ionotropic receptor NMDA type subunit 2A)
Grin2b  (glutamate ionotropic receptor NMDA type subunit 2B)


Additional Information