Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter to the Editor
  • Published:

A possible impact of the neuroD2 transcription factor on the development of drug abusing behavior

Molecular Psychiatry volume 11, pages 525–527 (2006)Cite this article

A recent study by Lin et al.1 has shown that the transcription factor neuroD2 regulates amygdala development and emotional learning in mice. In neuroD2-null mice, the lateral and basolateral amygdala was undeveloped and neuroD2 heterozygous mice had fewer neurons in this region. Moreover, neuroD2 heterozygous mice revealed a profound deficit in emotional learning when compared to wild-type controls in terms of decreased anxiety behaviors in unconditioned fear tests. The present results of a post-mortem mRNA expression study of the neuroD2 gene in human brain suggest that the neuroD2 gene might be one of the crucial factors in the development of drug abusing behavior in humans.

NeuroD2 is a basic helix–loop–helix transcription factor with important functions during development of the nervous system.2 In adult central nervous system (CNS), sustained neuroD2 mRNA expression is detected in specific brain regions, including the hippocampus, cortex and cerebellum.3 Lin et al. could demonstrate that neuroD2 is necessary not only for the amygdala development in mice but also that the dose of the neuroD2 gene is critical for the regulation of molecules that underlie emotional learning, as the AMPA receptor, the gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA)-A receptor and Ulip, a protein that is involved in neuronal plasticity.1 Furthermore, neuroD2 heterozygous mice showed a decreased response to fear conditioning and unconditioned fear analysis.1

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1

References

  1. Lin CH, Hansen S, Wang Z, Storm DR, Tapscott SJ, Olson JM . Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2005; 102: 14877–14882.

  2. Olson JM, Asakura A, Snider L, Hawkes R, Strand A, Stoeck J et al. Dev Biol 2001; 234: 174–187.

  3. Lee JK, Cho JH, Hwang WS, Lee YD, Reu DS, Suh-Kim H . Dev Dyn 2000; 217: 361–367.

  4. Hyman SE . Am J Psychiatry 2005; 162: 1414–1422.

  5. Tzschentke TM, Schmidt WJ . Mol Psychiatry 2003; 8: 373–382.

  6. Kauer JA . Annu Rev Physiol 2004; 66: 447–475.

  7. Baud P . Am J Med Genet C 2005; 133: 34–42.

  8. Kalivas PW . Curr Opin Pharmacol 2004; 4: 23–29.

  9. Preece P, Cairns NJ . Brain Res Mol Brain Res 2003; 118: 60–71.

  10. Preece P, Virley DJ, Costandi M, Coombes R, Moss SJ, Mudge AW et al. Brain Res Mol Brain Res 2003; 116: 7–16.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany

    P Zill & B Bondy

  2. Institute for Legal Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany

    A Büttner & W Eisenmenger

Authors
  1. P Zill
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. A Büttner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. W Eisenmenger
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. B Bondy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to P Zill.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Zill, P., Büttner, A., Eisenmenger, W. et al. A possible impact of the neuroD2 transcription factor on the development of drug abusing behavior. Mol Psychiatry 11, 525–527 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.mp.4001825

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.mp.4001825

Search

Advanced search

Quick links