Cocaine induces paradigm-specific changes to the transcriptome within the ventral tegmental area.

ABSTRACT: During the initial stages of drug use, cocaine-induced neuroadaptations within the ventral tegmental area (VTA) are critical for drug-associated cue learning and drug reinforcement processes. These neuroadaptations occur, in part, from alterations to the transcriptome. Although cocaine-induced transcriptional mechanisms within the VTA have been examined, various regimens and paradigms have been employed to examine candidate target genes. In order to identify key genes and biological processes regulating cocaine-induced processes, we employed genome-wide RNA-sequencing to analyze transcriptional profiles within the VTA from male mice that underwent one of four commonly used paradigms: acute home cage injections of cocaine, chronic home cage injections of cocaine, cocaine-conditioning, or in

SUBMITTER: Campbell RR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8357835 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature