Grant: Project Grant

Depression and other mood disorders involve changes in emotional brain circuits. Recent advances make it possible to begin to probe molecular mechanisms of circuit changes. In this search we have identified a novel gene that may influence depression risk in humans and stress susceptibility in a mouse model for depression but the function of this gene in the brain is largely unknown. We will explore the role of this gene in emotional brain circuits. We hypothesize that it plays a key role in organizing brain circuit function in adulthood. We will identify the specific cell-types in the brain that express this gene and determine what is unique about these cells and how they connect with other brain cells. We will then examine how turning on this gene regulates emotional behaviour and adaptation to chronic stress. This work will establish a molecular link between stress-induced circuit changes and emotional behaviour.