Jian Feng, Ningyi Shao, Keith E Szulwach, Vincent Vialou, Jimmy Huynh, Chun Zhong, Thuc Le, Deveroux Ferguson, Michael E Cahill, Yujing Li, Ja Wook Koo, Efrain Ribeiro, Benoit Labonte, Benjamin M Laitman, David Estey, Victoria Stockman, Pamela Kennedy, Thomas Couroussé, Isaac Mensah, Gustavo Turecki, Kym F Faull, Guo-li Ming, Hongjun Song, Guoping Fan, Patrizia Casaccia, Li Shen, Peng Jin, Eric J Nestler
Ten-eleven translocation (TET) enzymes mediate the conversion of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), which is enriched in brain, and its ultimate DNA demethylation. However, the influence of TET and 5hmC on gene transcription in brain remains elusive. We found that ten-eleven translocation protein 1 (TET1) was downregulated in mouse nucleus accumbens (NAc), a key brain reward structure, by repeated cocaine administration, which enhanced behavioral responses to cocaine. We then identified 5hmC induction in putative enhancers and coding regions of genes that have pivotal roles in drug addiction...
April 2015: Nature Neuroscience