Fig. 6: CUS induces a depressive- and anxiety-like state in adult female mice that is driven by YY1 activity in PFC excitatory neurons. | Nature Communications

Fig. 6: CUS induces a depressive- and anxiety-like state in adult female mice that is driven by YY1 activity in PFC excitatory neurons.

From: Neuronal Yin Yang1 in the prefrontal cortex regulates transcriptional and behavioral responses to chronic stress in mice

Fig. 6

a Pre-CUS body weights of control (n = 14) and CUS (n = 15) adult female mice. b CUS drives weight loss in adult female mice (Unpaired t-test; P < 0.0001; n = 14 controls, n = 15 CUS). c Food consumption of control and CUS females normalized to body weight. (Unpaired t-test with Welch’s correction; P = 0.003; n = 14 controls, n = 15 CUS). d CUS decreases sucrose preference in adult female mice compared to unstressed controls (Mann–Whitney U-test; P = 0.02; n = 15 per group). e Liquid consumption of control and CUS females normalized to body weight (Unpaired t-test; P = 0.004; n = 10 per group). f CUS decreases exploratory behavior of adult female mice in the open field test (Unpaired t-test; P = 0.004; n = 14 controls, n = 15 CUS). g Locomotor activity of female mice is unaffected by CUS (Unpaired t-test; P = 0.5; n = 14 controls, n = 15 CUS). h Immobility times of control and CUS females subjected to the tail suspension test (Unpaired t-test; P = 0.01; n = 10 per group). i Quantification of Yy1 mRNA levels in YY1-exKO mice (n = 8) relative to YY1-exGFP females (n = 9) (Unpaired t-test with Welch’s correction; ****P < 0.0001). j Representative western blot of YY1 in medial PFC tissue lysates from YY1-exGFP and YY1-exKO females. Quantification of YY1 protein expression (normalized to β-actin) is shown on the right (Unpaired t-test; P = 0.009; n = 3 per group). k Decreased exploratory behavior in the open field arena exhibited by aCUS-exposed mice harboring selective loss of YY1 in PFC excitatory neurons (Unpaired t-test with Welch’s correction; P = 0.02; n = 7 YY1-exGFP, n = 6 YY1-exKO). l aCUS does not alter locomotor activity of Yy1-exKO mice relative to Yy1-exGFP controls (Unpaired t-test; P = 0.5; n = 7 YY1-exGFP, n = 6 YY1-exKO). m Loss of YY1 in PFC excitatory neurons increases helplessness behavior in aCUS-exposed females in the tail suspension test (Unpaired t-test; P = 0.005; n = 7 YY1-exGFP, n = 6 YY1-exKO). n Loss of YY1 in PFC excitatory neurons decreases sucrose preference in aCUS-exposed females (Unpaired t-test; P = 0.01; n = 11 YY1-exGFP, n = 11 YY1-exKO). o Loss of YY1 in PFC excitatory neurons decreases nest scores in aCUS-exposed females (Unpaired t-test; P = 0.01; n = 18 YY1-exGFP, n = 17 YY1-exKO). p Quantitative RT-PCR measurements of Fos, Fosl2, Nr3c1, Nr3c2, and Crhr1 mRNA levels in aCUS YY1-exKO females relative aCUS YY1-exGFP controls (Unpaired t-test; P = 0.005; n = 7 per group). *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01; ****P < 0.0001. Error bars represent s.e.m. and statistical tests were two-sided unless stated otherwise. Source data are provided as a Source data file.

Back to article page