MicroRNA expression profile and functional analysis reveal that miR‐382 is a critical novel gene of alcohol addiction

Jingyuan Li(Rush University Medical Center), Jing Li(Rush University Medical Center), Xiaojun Liu(Rush University Medical Center), Shanshan Qin(Rush University Medical Center), Yanzhong Guan(Rutgers New Jersey Medical School), Yuwei Liu(Rutgers New Jersey Medical School), Yunhui Cheng(Rush University Medical Center), Xiuwen Chen(Rush University Medical Center), Wen Li(Rush University Medical Center), Shenming Wang(Rush University Medical Center), Ming Xiong(Rutgers New Jersey Medical School), Eldo V. Kuzhikandathil(Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey), Jianghong Ye(Rutgers New Jersey Medical School), Chunxiang Zhang(Rush University Medical Center)
EMBO Molecular Medicine
July 22, 2013
10.1002/emmm.201201900
Cited by 71Open Access
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Abstract

Alcohol addiction is a major social and health concern. Here, we determined the expression profile of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of rats treated with alcohol. The results suggest that multiple miRNAs were aberrantly expressed in rat NAc after alcohol injection. Among them, miR-382 was down-regulated in alcohol-treated rats. In both cultured neuronal cells in vitro and in the NAc in vivo, we identified that the dopamine receptor D1 (Drd1) is a direct target gene of miR-382. Via this target gene, miR-382 strongly modulated the expression of DeltaFosB. Moreover, overexpression of miR-382 significantly attenuated alcohol-induced up-regulation of DRD1 and DeltaFosB, decreased voluntary intake of and preference for alcohol and inhibited the DRD1-induced action potential responses. The results indicated that miRNAs are involved in and may represent novel therapeutic targets for alcoholism.

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