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Regional differences in the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) pro-peptide, proBDNF and preproBDNF in the brain confer stress resilience

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Abstract

Using learned helplessness (LH) model of depression, we measured protein expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) pro-peptide, BDNF precursors (proBDNF and preproBDNF) in the brain regions of LH (susceptible) and non-LH rats (resilience). Expression of preproBDNF, proBDNF and BDNF pro-peptide in the medial prefrontal cortex of LH rats, but not non-LH rats, was significantly higher than control rats, although expression of these proteins in the nucleus accumbens of LH rats was significantly lower than control rats. This study suggests that regional differences in conversion of BDNF precursors into BDNF and BDNF pro-peptide by proteolytic cleavage may contribute to stress resilience.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan. A grant from Strategic Research Program for Brain Sciences, AMED, Japan (to K. H.). Dr. Bangkun Yang was supported by China Scholarship Council.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Chiba University Center for Forensic Mental Health, Chiba, 260-8670, Japan

    Bangkun Yang, Chun Yang, Qian Ren, Ji-chun Zhang, Yukihiko Shirayama & Kenji Hashimoto

  2. Department of Neurosurgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, People’s Republic of China

    Bangkun Yang & Qian-Xue Chen

  3. Department of Psychiatry, Teikyo University Chiba Medical Center, Ichihara, Chiba, Japan

    Yukihiko Shirayama

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  1. Bangkun Yang
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  2. Chun Yang
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  3. Qian Ren
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  4. Ji-chun Zhang
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  5. Qian-Xue Chen
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  6. Yukihiko Shirayama
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  7. Kenji Hashimoto
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kenji Hashimoto.

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Yang, B., Yang, C., Ren, Q. et al. Regional differences in the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) pro-peptide, proBDNF and preproBDNF in the brain confer stress resilience. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 266, 765–769 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-016-0693-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-016-0693-6

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