Project Summary

Houhui Xia, Ph.D. (Young Investigator 2006) of the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, plans to study how defects in the nuclear mechanisms that underlie neuronal plasticity go wrong in depression. Dr. Xia will focus on how plasticity is achieved through enhancing the expression of genes mediated by a key gene-transcription factor, CREB (Ca++/cyclic AMP response element binding protein). Recent findings suggest that class-I histone deacetylase (HDAC) is critical in this process. The first aim of the project is to test the hypothesis that class-I HDAC family members (HDAC112) have opposing effects on CREB inactivation in hippocampal neurons. The second aim is to test Dr. Xia’s CREB activation and inhibition hypothesis in an animal model of depression. Dr. Xia will compare the activation states of CREB and LacZ expression in tissue slices from two groups of CRE-LacZ transgenic mice: those not receiving good maternal care in early life and controls.

Program Area: MOOD DISORDERS\Unipolar

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