mRNA changes in nucleus accumbens related to methamphetamine addiction in mice

Sci Rep. 2016 Nov 21:6:36993. doi: 10.1038/srep36993.

Abstract

Methamphetamine (METH) is a highly addictive psychostimulant that elicits aberrant changes in the expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the nucleus accumbens of mice, indicating a potential role of METH in post-transcriptional regulations. To decipher the potential consequences of these post-transcriptional regulations in response to METH, we performed strand-specific RNA sequencing (ssRNA-Seq) to identify alterations in mRNA expression and their alternative splicing in the nucleus accumbens of mice following exposure to METH. METH-mediated changes in mRNAs were analyzed and correlated with previously reported changes in non-coding RNAs (miRNAs and lncRNAs) to determine the potential functions of these mRNA changes observed here and how non-coding RNAs are involved. A total of 2171 mRNAs were differentially expressed in response to METH with functions involved in synaptic plasticity, mitochondrial energy metabolism and immune response. 309 and 589 of these mRNAs are potential targets of miRNAs and lncRNAs respectively. In addition, METH treatment decreases mRNA alternative splicing, and there are 818 METH-specific events not observed in saline-treated mice. Our results suggest that METH-mediated addiction could be attributed by changes in miRNAs and lncRNAs and consequently, changes in mRNA alternative splicing and expression. In conclusion, our study reported a methamphetamine-modified nucleus accumbens transcriptome and provided non-coding RNA-mRNA interaction networks possibly involved in METH addiction.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alternative Splicing / drug effects
  • Amphetamine-Related Disorders / genetics
  • Amphetamine-Related Disorders / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Central Nervous System Stimulants / administration & dosage
  • Central Nervous System Stimulants / pharmacology*
  • Central Nervous System Stimulants / toxicity
  • Dopamine / metabolism
  • Drug Administration Schedule
  • Gene Expression Regulation / drug effects*
  • Gene Ontology
  • Methamphetamine / administration & dosage
  • Methamphetamine / pharmacology*
  • Methamphetamine / toxicity
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • MicroRNAs / metabolism
  • Motor Activity / drug effects
  • Neuronal Plasticity / drug effects
  • Neuronal Plasticity / genetics
  • Nucleus Accumbens / drug effects*
  • Nucleus Accumbens / metabolism
  • RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional
  • RNA, Long Noncoding / metabolism
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism*
  • Random Allocation
  • Reward
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Sequence Analysis, RNA
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Transcriptome / drug effects*

Substances

  • Central Nervous System Stimulants
  • MicroRNAs
  • RNA, Long Noncoding
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Methamphetamine
  • Dopamine