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A molecular profile of chronic cocaine abuse includes differential expression of genes regulating transcription, chromatin and dopamine cell phenotype

ABSTRACT: Midbrain dopamine (DA)-synthesizing neurons play a key role in the addiction process, providing a compelling rationale for determining drug-induced molecular changes arising in these cells. This microarray-based study determined the profiles of midbrain gene expression in chronic cocaine abusers (n = 10) and well-matched drug-free control subjects (n = 10). Array-related procedures were performed in triplicate for each subject. Data analysis revealed that 98 array probes (corresponding to 91 genes) exhibited robust, statistically significant expression differences between chronic cocaine abusers and matched control subjects (p ≤ 0.05, FDR = 5%; with ≥ 1.4 fold-change cut-off applied). Changes in transcript abundance identified by microarray were validated by qPCR analysis in every instance examined (n = 11), regardless of the direction or magnitude of change, supporting the validity of the larger dataset of genes differentially expressed in cocaine abusers. Many of the genes exhibiting robust differential expression were associated with the regulation of transcription, chromatin function, or dopamine cell phenotype. For approximately one-half of these genes, transcript abundance was significantly predictive for subject assignment to the cocaine-abusing versus control cohort. The findings suggest that there is a molecular signature associated with core pathophysiological changes in the DA neurons of chronic cocaine abusers that can be exploited for the development of potential biomarkers and novel therapeutic targets for addiction.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE54839 | GEO | 2014/04/01

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA239360

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:<p>This project characterizes DNA methylation and gene expression changes that occur in the human brain, specifically in neurons from the rostral striatum. Major advances from NIDA funded initiatives for noninvasive neuroimaging studies have made it possible to study neuroanatomical, neurochemical and functional changes in the human brain that contribute to the vulnerability to abuse drugs, together with the neurotoxic consequences of years of drug misuse. Animal models have been developed to explain the fundamental behavioral and biological mechanisms of addiction, including reward, tolerance and dependence. From these studies, we learned that cocaine abuse not only alters the epigenetic status of genes, but also induces particular epigenetic modifications depending on the frequency of the drug's administration. Certain genes are switched on by infrequent (short-term exposure) administration, while others are switched on only after chronic administration (addiction/dependence). Animal studies have also suggested that cocaine-seeking habits modeling chronic cocaine addiction in humans depend upon dopamine-dependent serial connectivity linking the ventral (nucleus accumbens) with the dorsal striatum (caudate nucleus). The primary goal of this study is to identify DNA methylation and gene expression changes that occur in the transition from recreational cocaine use to cocaine addiction. High throughput sequencing studies were designed to investigate unique postmortem human brain specimens from individuals that met criteria for cocaine dependence, as compared to unaffected age-matched controls.</p> <p>Brain biospecimens were available from the University of Miami Brain Endowment BankTM, from a collection of phenotypically well-characterized postmortem tissues sampled from chronic cocaine abusers that came to autopsy. This biobank of postmortem brain specimens and annotated genomic data serve as a research resource to support NIDA's scientific mission.</p>

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A molecular profile of chronic cocaine abuse includes differential expression of genes regulating transcription, chromatin and dopamine cell phenotype

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