Kalinichenko, L. S. | Search bioRxiv

bioRxiv2026

Estrogen receptor alpha regulates alcohol craving in females: convergent evidence from mouse models and human genetics

Alcohol craving and consumption fluctuate across the reproductive cycle in females with alcohol use disorder (AUD), suggesting that estrogen signaling contributes to disease vulnerability. Here, we investigated the role of estrogen receptor alpha (ER; Esr1; ESR1) in alcohol seeking using complementary mouse and human approaches, as this receptor was previously identified as a risk factor for AUD. Female mice were characterized in an IntelliCage-based multidimensional AUD paradigm that stratifies individuals into AUD-prone and AUD-resistant phenotypes. Transcriptomic profiling of the amygdala revealed that Esr1 is a top transcription factor for differentially expressed genes in mice drinking alcohol, and the estrogen signaling pathway was deregulated specifically in AUD-prone mice. Although alcohol exposure did not alter overall Esr1/ER mRNA or protein abundance, both transcript and protein levels positively correlated with cue-induced alcohol seeking, indicating that inter-individual variation in ER signaling predicts relapse-like behavior. Causal manipulations confirmed a functional role of ER. Local knockdown of Esr1 in the basolateral amygdala reduced excitatory synaptic transmission, attenuated alcohol motivation, cue-induced seeking, and relapse drinking, and impaired cue-associated memory recall without affecting anxiety-like behavior. Similarly, ovariectomy decreased amygdala ER expression, altered synaptic protein markers, and reduced alcohol-seeking behaviors, supporting regulation by endogenous ovarian hormones. Extending these findings to humans, ESR1 gene polymorphisms (rs6902771, rs11155819 and rs6557171) were associated with the probability of alcohol binge drinking and alcohol consumption days as well as craving and loss of control in real world in a longitudinal clinical cohort, while ESR1 mRNA blood levels were increased in women with AUD diagnosis. Together, these convergent molecular, circuit, behavioral, and genetic data identify ER signaling in the amygdala as an important modulator of alcohol-seeking behavior induced by alcohol cue and relapse vulnerability, highlighting estrogen pathways as potential therapeutic targets and markers for AUD.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2024

Compromising tyrosine hydroxylase function establishes a delusion-like temporal profile of reinforcement by dopamine neurons in Drosophila

For a proper representation of the causal structure of the world, one must consider both evidence for and evidence against causality. To take punishment as an example, the causality of a stimulus is reasonable if the stimulus precedes punishment, whereas causality can be ruled out if the punishment occurred first. This is reflected in the associative principle of timing-dependent valence reversal: aversive memories are formed when a stimulus occurs before the punishment, whereas memories of appetitive valence are observed when a stimulus is presented upon its relieving termination. We map the temporal profile of punishment induced by optogenetic activation of the PPL1-01 neuron in the fly Drosophila melanogaster, and find that impairment of tyrosine hydroxylase function, either acutely by pharmacological methods or by cell-specific RNAi, i) enhances learning with a time gap between stimulus and PPL1-01 punishment (trace conditioning), ii) impairs learning when the stimulus immediately precedes PPL1-01 punishment (delay conditioning), and iii) prevents learning about a stimulus presented after PPL1-01 punishment has ceased (relief conditioning). This implies a delusion-like state in which causality is attributed to cues that do not merit it (better trace conditioning), whereas both credible evidence for and credible evidence against causality is not properly appreciated (worse delay and relief conditioning). Under conditions of low dopamine, we furthermore observe a compensatory role for serotonin that is pronounced in trace conditioning, weaker in delay conditioning, and absent in relief conditioning. We discuss a disturbed dopamine-serotonin balance as an endophenotype for the positive and cognitive symptoms in schizophrenia.

animal behavior and cognition↗