Dysregulation of the mesoprefrontal dopamine circuit mediates an early-life 
stress-induced synaptic imbalance in the prefrontal cortex

Oh, Won Chan; Rodríguez, Gabriela; Asede, Douglas; Jung, Kanghoon; Hwang, In-Wook; Ogelman, Roberto; Bolton, McLean M.; Kwon, Hyung-Bae

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Dysregulation of the mesoprefrontal dopamine circuit mediates an early-life stress-induced synaptic imbalance in the prefrontal cortex

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Citation

Oh, W. C., Rodríguez, G., Asede, D., Jung, K., Hwang, I.-W., Ogelman, R., et al. (2021). Dysregulation of the mesoprefrontal dopamine circuit mediates an early-life stress-induced synaptic imbalance in the prefrontal cortex. Cell Reports, (5). Retrieved from https://www.cell.com/article/S2211124721004058/pdf.

Cite as: https://hdl.handle.net/21.11116/0000-000C-DFC0-0

Abstract

Stress adversely affects an array of cognitive functions. Although stress-related disorders are often addressed in adulthood, far less is known about how early-life stress (ELS) affects the developing brain in early postnatal periods. Here we show that ELS, induced by maternal separation, leads to synaptic alteration of layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of mice. We find that layer 2/3 neurons show increased excitatory synapse numbers following ELS and that this is accompanied by hyperexcitability of PFC-projecting dopamine (DA) neurons in the ventral tegmental area. Notably, excitatory synaptic change requires local signaling through DA D2 receptors. In vivo pharmacological treatment with a D2 receptor agonist in the PFC of control mice mimics the effects of ELS on synaptic alterations. Our findings reveal a neuromodulatory mechanism underlying ELS-induced PFC dysfunction, and this mechanism may facilitate a more comprehensive understanding of how ELS leads to mental disorders.