Scientists have discovered the brain mechanism of adaptation to stress
Israeli scientists recently reported the discovery of the mechanism of effects of stress on the human brain. In a new study published in the January issue zhurnaluNeuron, was first discovered a new brain mechanism of adaptation to stress, which now help experts better understand why repeated stress leads to the emergence of anxiety disorders and personality protracted depression.
Most stressful stimuli trigger the production of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) neurons in the brain. This process is usually accompanied by rapid changes in gene expression of CRH. In practice, it looks like this: Once the neurons containing CRH, are beginning to feel the lack of the hormone CRH, they are setting to produce it in greater quantities. CRH hormone regulates different responses to stress, including immediate response "fight or flight" and the slower adaptive response in the brain. Regulation of CRH hormone plays an important role in adaptation to stress and regulate CRH abuse leads to numerous mental disorders in humans.
"Despite the variety of information about the physiological role of CRH response to stress, the molecular mechanisms that regulate the expression of the gene CRH, and then the synthesis of CRH, remained unsolved for us a long time", - explained the senior author of the analysis, Dr. Gil Levkovyts (Gil Levkowitz), research from the Weizmann Institute in Israel. "In the current analysis, for example striped zebrafish and mice, we tried to identify new intercellular, mains signaling, which regulates gene expression of CRH, overwhelming stress."
Dr. Levkovyts and his colleagues found that the protein Orthopedia (Otp), which is expressed in brain regions associated with stress adaptation, CRH gene expression modulyroval was required in the process of adaptation to stress. The researchers went on to show that the protein Otp regulating the production of two different receptors located on the surface of neurons. Receptors that perceive and transmit information about the need for the production of the hormone CRH, essentially functioned as a button to "On." and "Off".
"It CRH gene regulation is vital for neuronal adaptation to stress. Violation of initiation or completion of the CRH response can lead to chronic abuse activation of brain circuits associated with stress, which can cause the development of pathologies," - concluded Dr. Levkovyts. "Overall, our data identify evolutionarily preserved biochemical pipeline that modulates brain adaptation to stress."