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Biomarkers for Psychiatric Disorders pp 185–202Cite as

Synaptoproteomics of Existing and new Animal Models of Depression

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Abstract

Depression is a severe and life-threatening psychiatric illness whose pathogenesis is still essentially unknown. Proteomic analysis of synaptic terminals (synaptoproteomics) in animal models of depression is a powerful approach to gain insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying vulnerability to mood disorders and the long-term action of drug treatments. Here, we employed two different animal models of depression, the Learned Helplessness rats (a classical behavioral model of depression) and a new model of depression with gene—environment interaction (Flinders Sensitive Line rats subjected to early life stress). Both animal models were treated with the antidepressant escitalopram. Analysis of their synaptoproteomic profile revealed a number of protein spots differently regulated by basic vulnerability and/or early life stress. Using this approach, we obtained information regarding biomarkers that may represent predictors of pathology or response/resistance to drug treatment, as well as potential targets for novel pharmacological and therapeutic strategies.

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Abbreviations

2D:

Two-dimensional

5-HT1A :

Serotonin 1A receptor

BCA:

Bicinchoninic Acid

CHAPS:

(3-[(3-Cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate)

DA:

Dopamine

DAVID:

Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery

ESC:

Escitalopram

FRL:

Flinders sensitive line

FSL:

Flinders resistant line

G × E:

Gene—environment interaction

GO:

Gene Ontology

HC:

Hippocampus

HPA:

Hypothalamic—pituitary—adrenal

IBS:

Inflammatory bowel syndrome

IEF:

Isoelectric focusing

IPA:

Ingenuity pathways analysis

IPG:

Immobilized pH gradient

LH:

Learned helplessness

mRNA:

Messenger RNA

MS:

Maternal separation

nLH:

Non-learned helplessness

NMDA:

N-methyl-D-aspartate

P/FC:

Prefrontal/frontal cortex

pI:

Isoelectric point

PND:

Post natal day

REM:

Random eyes movement

SDS:

Sodium dodecyl sulfate

SDS-PAGE:

Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

Tris:

Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane

Veh:

Vehicle

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by a European Union (6th Framework Program) grant for project GENDEP (contract no. LSHB-CT-2003-503428) and by the Swedish Medical Research Council grant 10414 (to AAM).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center of Neuropharmacology, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, University of Milano, Via Balzaretti, 9, 20133, Milano, Italy

    Maurizio Popoli

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  1. Alessandra Mallei
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  2. Roberto Giambelli
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  3. Aram El Khoury
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  4. Susanne H. M. Gruber
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  5. Laura Musazzi
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  6. Valentina S. Barbiero
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  7. Daniela Tardito
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  8. Barbara Vollmayr
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  9. Peter Gass
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  10. Aleksander A. Mathé
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  11. Giorgio Racagni
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  12. Maurizio Popoli
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Correspondence to Maurizio Popoli .

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    Mallei, A. et al. (2008). Synaptoproteomics of Existing and new Animal Models of Depression. In: Turck, C. (eds) Biomarkers for Psychiatric Disorders. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79251-4_8

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