Early life stress enhances vulnerability to stress via activation of REST4-mediated gene transcription

Rat pups separated from their mothers:

1) Have increased depressive-like and anhedonic behaviours

2) Show an increased expression of the neuron-specific transcriptional repressor REST4 in the medial prefrontal cortex

3) Gene transfer induced REST4 overexpression in the medial prefrontal cortex increased vulnerability to stress

Uchida et al. 2010

J Neurosci

Yamaguchi University