Activation of endogenous retrovirus triggers microglial immuno-inflammation and contributes to negative emotional behaviors in mice with chronic stress

Background The “missing” link of complex and multifaceted interplay among endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) transcription, chronic immuno-inflammation, and the development of psychiatric disorders is still far from being completely clarified. The present study was aimed to investigate the mechanism of protective role of inhibiting ERVs on reversing microglial immuno-inflammation in basolateral amygdala (BLA) in chronic stress-induced negative emotional behaviors in mice. Methods Male C57BL/6 mice were exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) for 6 w. Negative emotional behaviors were comprehensively investigated to identify the susceptible mice. Microglial morphology, ERVs transcription, intrinsic nucleic acids sensing response, and immuno-inflammation in BLA were assessed. Results Mice with chronic stress were presented as obviously depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors, and accompanied with significant microglial morphological activation, murine ERVs genes MuERV-L, MusD, and IAP transcription, cGAS–IFI16–STING pathway activation, NF-κB signaling pathway priming, as well as NLRP3 inflammasome activation in BLA. Antiretroviral therapy, pharmacological inhibition of reverse transcriptases, as well as knocking-down the ERVs transcriptional regulation gene p53 significantly inhibited microglial ERVs transcription and immuno-inflammation in BLA, as well as improved the chronic stress-induced negative emotional behaviors. Conclusions Our results provided an innovative therapeutic approach that targeting ERVs-associated microglial immuno-inflammation may be beneficial to the patients with psychotic disorders..

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2023

Erschienen:

2023

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:20

Enthalten in:

Journal of neuroinflammation - 20(2023), 1 vom: 15. Feb.

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Bao, Han [VerfasserIn]
Yan, Jinqi [VerfasserIn]
Huang, Jiancheng [VerfasserIn]
Deng, Wenjuan [VerfasserIn]
Zhang, Ce [VerfasserIn]
Liu, Cong [VerfasserIn]
Huang, Ailing [VerfasserIn]
Zhang, Qiao [VerfasserIn]
Xiong, Ying [VerfasserIn]
Wang, Qiang [VerfasserIn]
Wu, Huanghui [VerfasserIn]
Hou, Lichao [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext [kostenfrei]

Themen:

Chronic stress
Cyclic GMP-AMP synthase
Endogenous retrovirus
Immuno-inflammation
Microglia
Negative emotional behavior
Stimulator of interferon genes

Anmerkungen:

© The Author(s) 2023

doi:

10.1186/s12974-023-02724-x

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

SPR051457776