Social isolation primes anxiety via a hippocampal iron-α-synuclein cascade
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ABSTRACT: This study reveals a novel mechanism linking social isolation to anxiety through a glucocorticoid (GC)-driven, ventral hippocampal (vHip)-specific iron-α-synuclein (α-Syn) axis. Social isolation activates glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) in vHip pyramidal neurons, which upregulate transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1) to promote iron accumulation. Elevated iron induces α-Syn overexpression, thereby enhancing presynaptic glutamate release and neuronal hyperexcitability in the vHip; this ultimately drives anxiety-like behaviors. Gain-of-function/loss-of-function experiments confirm that TfR1 and α-Syn are essential for this pathway, while intranasal iron chelation or α-Syn inhibition rescues both neural and behavioral abnormalities. These findings establish the GR-TfR1-α-Syn axis as a therapeutic target for social stress-related anxiety, which bridges metallobiology and psychiatric pathophysiology.
ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus
PROVIDER: GSE299293 | GEO | 2025/06/12
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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