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Persistent dopamine-dependent remodeling of the neural transcriptome in response to pregnancy and postpartum [snRNA-seq]

ABSTRACT: Pregnancy and postpartum experiences represent transformative physiological states that impose lasting demands on the maternal body and brain, resulting in lifelong neural adaptations. However, the precise molecular mechanisms driving these persistent alterations remain poorly understood. Here, we used brain-wide transcriptomic profiling to define the molecular landscape of parity-induced neural plasticity, identifying the dorsal hippocampus (dHpc) as a key site of transcriptional remodeling. Combining single-cell RNA sequencing with a maternal separation paradigm, we additionally demonstrated that chronic postpartum stress significantly disrupts dHpc adaptations by altering dopamine dynamics, leading to dysregulated transcription, altered cellular plasticity, and impaired behavior. We further established the sufficiency of dopamine modulation in the regulation of these parity-induced adaptations via chemogenetic suppression of dopamine release into dHpc, which recapitulated key transcriptional and behavioral features of parity in virgin females. In sum, our findings establish dopamine as a central regulator of parity-induced neuroadaptations, revealing a fundamental transcriptional mechanism by which female reproductive experiences remodel the maternal brain to sustain long-term behavioral adaptations.

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

PROVIDER: GSE289992 | GEO | 2026/04/13

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:The transition from the non-maternal to the maternal state is characterized by a variety of CNS alterations that support the care of offspring. The septum (including lateral and medial portions) is a brain region previously linked to various emotional and motivational processes, including maternal care. In this study, we used microarrays (PLIER algorithm) to examine gene expression changes in the septum of postpartum mice and employed gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) to identify possible regulators of altered gene expression. Genes of interest identified as differentially regulated with microarray analysis were validated with quantitative real-time PCR. We found that fatty acid binding protein 7 (Fabp7) and galanin (Gal) were downregulated, whereas insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (Igfbp3) was upregulated in postpartum mice compared to virgin females. These genes were previously found to be differentially regulated in other brain regions during lactation. We also identified altered expression of novel genes not previously linked to maternal behavior, but that could play a role in postpartum processes, including glutamate-ammonia ligase (Glul) and somatostatin receptor 1 (Sstr1) (both upregulated in postpartum). Genes implicated in metabolism, cell differentiation, or proliferation also exhibited altered expression. Unexpectedly, enrichment analysis revealed a high number of microRNAs, transcription factors, or conserved binding sites (177 with corrected P-value <0.05) that were significantly linked to maternal upregulated genes, while none were linked to downregulated genes. MicroRNAs have been linked to placenta and mammary gland development, but this is the first indication they may also play a key role in sculpting the maternal brain. Together, this study provides new insights into genes (along with possible mechanisms for their regulation) that are involved in septum-mediated adaptations during the postpartum period. In total, 12 total RNA samples derived from microdissected lateral septum were used for microarray analysis: 6 samples from virgin mice and 6 samples from age-matched lactating maternal mice. All samples are biological replicates.

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Persistent dopamine-dependent remodeling of the neural transcriptome in response to pregnancy and postpartum [snRNA-seq]

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