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Transposable elements are dynamically expressed within medium spiny neurons and associated with molecular and behavioral adaptations to cocaine

ABSTRACT: A more complete understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which substance use is encoded in the brain could illuminate novel strategies to treat substance use disorders, including cocaine use disorder (CUD). We have previously discovered that Zfp189, which encodes a Krüppel-associated box zinc finger protein (KZFP) transcription factor (TF), differentially accumulates in nucleus accumbens (NAc) Drd1+ and Drd2+ medium spiny neurons (MSNs) over the course of cocaine exposure and is causal in producing MSN functional and behavioral changes to cocaine. Here, we aimed to illuminate the brain cell-type specific molecular mechanisms through which this KZFP TF produces chronic cocaine -related brain changes, with emphasis on investigating transposable elements (TEs), since KZFPs like ZFP189 are known regulators of TEs. We discovered that expression of NAc TE transcripts was dramatically increased by cocaine experience, the most sensitive NAc cell-type was MSNs, and TEs in Drd1+ MSNs were considerably more dynamic over the course of cocaine exposure than TEs in Drd2+ MSNs. We demonstrated that synthetic ZFP189VPR is capable of dysregulating NAc TEs. In our snRNAseq data we observed that, relative to ZFP189WT, NAc manipulated with ZFP189VPR impeded cocaine-induced gene expression in NAc cell-types, including both Drd1+ and Drd2+ MSNs. Within either MSN subtype, the consequence of normal ZFP189 function was to enhance immune-related gene expression, and ZFP189VPR impeded these gene expression profiles. We discovered that behavioral and cell morphological adaptations to cocaine are produced by dysregulating TEs with ZFP189VPR in Drd1+ MSNs or stabilizing TEs with ZFP189WT in Drd2+ MSNs, revealing a persistent opponent process balanced across MSN subtypes and weighted by TE stability and consequent gene expression within MSN subtype.

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

PROVIDER: GSE296397 | GEO | 2025/08/27

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Cocaine-mediated repression of the histone methyltransferase (HMT) G9a has recently been implicated in transcriptional, morphological, and behavioral responses to chronic cocaine administration. Here, using a ribosomal affinity purification approach, we find that G9a repression by cocaine occurs in both Drd1 (striatonigral)- and Drd2 (striatopallidal)-expressing medium spiny neurons (MSNs). Conditional knockout and overexpression of G9a within these distinct cell types, however, reveals divergent behavioral phenotypes in response to repeated cocaine treatment. Our studies further indicate that such developmental deletion of G9a selectively in Drd2 neurons results in the unsilencing of transcriptional programs normally specific to striatonigral neurons, and the acquisition of Drd1-associated projection and electrophysiological properties. This partial striatopallidal to striatonigral ‘switching’ phenotype in mice indicates a novel role for G9a in contributing to neuronal subtype identity, and suggests a critical function for cell-type specific histone methylation patterns in the regulation of behavioral responses to environmental stimuli. Polyribosome associated mRNAs from 2-5 month old, age and sex matched Drd1-Cre; Drd1-TRAP; G9afl/fl and Drd1-TRAP; G9afl/fl, Drd2-Cre; Drd2-TRAP; G9afl/fl and Drd2-TRAP; G9afl/fl mice (n = 2-4 mice/genotype/drug treatment, 2 hours after the last of eight repeated cocaine injections of 20 mg/kg/day) were obtained as previously described. EGFP labeled ribosomes and associated mRNAs were immunoprecipitated using a mix of two monoclonal anti-GFP antibodies (50 μg of clones #19C8 and #19F7 for each IP, available at Sloan-Kettering Monoclonal Antibody Facility). Purified mRNA was amplified and processed for microarray and qPCR analysis using the Affymetrix two-cycle cDNA Synthesis kit (Affymetrix) as previously described. Affymetrix Mouse Genome 430 2.0 arrays were used in all experiments. Information regarding the array design and features can be found at www.affymetrix.com. Mouse Genome 430 2.0 arrays were scanned using the GeneChip Scanner 3000 (Affymetrix) and globally scaled to 150 using the Affymetrix GeneChip Operating Software (GCOS v1.4).

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Transposable elements are dynamically expressed within medium spiny neurons and associated with molecular and behavioral adaptations to cocaine

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