Neural and Molecular Mechanisms in Stress Coping

University Of Nebraska Omaha, Omaha NE

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

Animals experience a variety of challenges throughout their lives and often employ behavioral displays and physiological responses to successfully cope with stressors. These stress coping mechanisms are a result of complex interactions between neural activity and the individual's genome. The dysregulation of the stress response and stress coping mechanisms are often defining characteristics of many stress and anxiety-related mental health disorders. Understanding how neural activity and regulation of specific genes across a neural network leads to successful stress coping strategies can give important insights into the etiology of stress-related mental disorders by identifying key pathways that are disrupted. This project utilizes zebrafish, an emerging model in neurobehavioral stress-research, to study the neuromolecular mechanisms of two stress coping styles (proactive and reactive). The first aim will characterize how neural activity patterns across the brain differs between two stress coping styles while actively coping with stress. The second aim will quantify and elucidate how differences in basal transcriptome levels in key brain regions may predispose neural processing and stress coping style.In the third aim, the goal is to functionally manipulate the expression of candidate genes to assess how they modify variation of stress coping behaviors. Through a complementary multilevel approach, these aims will collectively provide insights into how stress coping styles are modulated by specific neural and transcriptional networks in the brain. Ultimately the project will enhance knowledge on the neurogenetics of stress and provide key sites and pathways for potential therapeutic interventions for those with dysregulated stress systems.