Megan E. Fox
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View article: Nucleus accumbens neuron subtype translatome signatures in socially stressed females
Nucleus accumbens neuron subtype translatome signatures in socially stressed females Open
Background The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a reward circuitry hub associated with major depressive disorder (MDD) and chronic stress in rodents. While transcriptional adaptations in NAc medium spiny neuron (MSN) subtypes, those enriched in …
View article: A Drd1-cre mouse line with nucleus accumbens gene dysregulation exhibits blunted fentanyl seeking
A Drd1-cre mouse line with nucleus accumbens gene dysregulation exhibits blunted fentanyl seeking Open
The synthetic opioid fentanyl remains abundant in the illicit drug supply, contributing to tens of thousands of overdose deaths every year. Despite this, the neurobiological effects of fentanyl use remain largely understudied. The nucleus …
View article: A Drd1-cre mouse line with nucleus accumbens gene dysregulation exhibits blunted fentanyl seeking
A Drd1-cre mouse line with nucleus accumbens gene dysregulation exhibits blunted fentanyl seeking Open
The synthetic opioid fentanyl remains abundant in the illicit drug supply, contributing to tens of thousands of overdose deaths every year. Despite this, the neurobiological effects of fentanyl use remain largely understudied. The nucleus …
View article: Transcriptional signatures of fentanyl use in the mouse ventral tegmental area
Transcriptional signatures of fentanyl use in the mouse ventral tegmental area Open
Synthetic opioids such as fentanyl contribute to the vast majority of opioid‐related overdose deaths, but fentanyl use remains broadly understudied. Like other substances with misuse potential, opioids cause lasting molecular adaptations t…
View article: Transcriptional signatures of fentanyl use in the mouse ventral tegmental area
Transcriptional signatures of fentanyl use in the mouse ventral tegmental area Open
Synthetic opioids such as fentanyl contribute to the vast majority of opioid-related overdose deaths, but fentanyl use remains broadly understudied. Like other substances with misuse potential, opioids cause lasting molecular adaptations t…
View article: Characterization of striatal dopamine projections across striatal subregions in behavioral flexibility
Characterization of striatal dopamine projections across striatal subregions in behavioral flexibility Open
Behavioural flexibility is key to survival in a dynamic environmentWhile flexible, goal‐directed behaviours are initially dependent on dorsomedial striatum, they become dependent on lateral striatum as behaviours become inflexible. Similar…
View article: Molecular, Circuit, and Stress Response Characterization of Ventral Pallidum Npas1-Neurons
Molecular, Circuit, and Stress Response Characterization of Ventral Pallidum Npas1-Neurons Open
Altered activity of the ventral pallidum (VP) underlies disrupted motivation in stress and drug exposure. The VP is a very heterogeneous structure composed of many neuron types with distinct physiological properties and projections. Neuron…
View article: Transcriptomic profiling of reward and sensory brain areas in perinatal fentanyl exposed juvenile mice
Transcriptomic profiling of reward and sensory brain areas in perinatal fentanyl exposed juvenile mice Open
Use of the synthetic opioid fentanyl increased ∼300% in the last decade, including among women of reproductive ages. Adverse neonatal outcomes and long-term behavioral disruptions are associated with perinatal opioid exposure. Our previous…
View article: The BDNF-TrkB Pathway Acts Through Nucleus Accumbens D2 Expressing Neurons to Mediate Stress Susceptible Outcomes
The BDNF-TrkB Pathway Acts Through Nucleus Accumbens D2 Expressing Neurons to Mediate Stress Susceptible Outcomes Open
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has a critical role in stress response including neuropsychiatric disorders that are precipitated by stress, such as major depressive disorder (MDD). BDNF acts through its full-length BDNF receptor …
View article: Chronic Physical and Vicarious Psychosocial Stress Alter Fentanyl Consumption and Nucleus Accumbens Rho GTPases in Male and Female C57BL/6 Mice
Chronic Physical and Vicarious Psychosocial Stress Alter Fentanyl Consumption and Nucleus Accumbens Rho GTPases in Male and Female C57BL/6 Mice Open
Chronic stress can increase the risk of developing a substance use disorder in vulnerable individuals. Numerous models have been developed to probe the underlying neurobiological mechanisms, however, most prior work has been restricted to …
View article: Mitochondria-Related Nuclear Gene Expression in the Nucleus Accumbens and Blood Mitochondrial Copy Number After Developmental Fentanyl Exposure in Adolescent Male and Female C57BL/6 Mice
Mitochondria-Related Nuclear Gene Expression in the Nucleus Accumbens and Blood Mitochondrial Copy Number After Developmental Fentanyl Exposure in Adolescent Male and Female C57BL/6 Mice Open
The potency of the synthetic opioid fentanyl and its increased clinical availability has led to the rapid escalation of use in the general population, increased recreational exposure, and subsequently opioid-related overdoses. The wide-spr…
View article: Molecular, circuit, and stress response characterization of Ventral Pallidum Npas1-neurons
Molecular, circuit, and stress response characterization of Ventral Pallidum Npas1-neurons Open
Altered activity of the ventral pallidum (VP) underlies disrupted motivation in stress and drug exposure. The VP is a very heterogeneous structure comprised of many neuron types with distinct physiological properties and projections. Neuro…
View article: Transcriptome profiling of the ventral pallidum reveals a role for pallido-thalamic neurons in cocaine reward
Transcriptome profiling of the ventral pallidum reveals a role for pallido-thalamic neurons in cocaine reward Open
Psychostimulant exposure alters the activity of ventral pallidum (VP) projection-neurons. However, the molecular underpinnings of these circuit dysfunctions are unclear. We used RNA- sequencing to reveal alterations in the transcriptional …
View article: Perinatal Fentanyl Exposure Leads to Long-Lasting Impairments in Somatosensory Circuit Function and Behavior
Perinatal Fentanyl Exposure Leads to Long-Lasting Impairments in Somatosensory Circuit Function and Behavior Open
One consequence of the opioid epidemic are lasting neurodevelopmental sequelae afflicting adolescents exposed to opioids in the womb. A translationally relevant and developmentally accurate preclinical model is needed to understand the beh…
View article: Divergent profiles of fentanyl withdrawal and associated pain in mice and rats
Divergent profiles of fentanyl withdrawal and associated pain in mice and rats Open
Opioid abuse has devastating effects on patients, their families, and society. Withdrawal symptoms are severely unpleasant, prolonged, and frequently hinder recovery or lead to relapse. The sharp increase in abuse and overdoses arising fro…
View article: Facilitation of Serotonin Signaling by SSRIs is Attenuated by Social Isolation
Facilitation of Serotonin Signaling by SSRIs is Attenuated by Social Isolation Open
Hypofunction of the serotonergic system is often associated with major depression and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are commonly prescribed to treat these disorders, and require 3–6 we…
View article: Noradrenergic Synaptic Function in the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis Varies in Animal Models of Anxiety and Addiction
Noradrenergic Synaptic Function in the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis Varies in Animal Models of Anxiety and Addiction Open
Lewis rats show increased anxiety-like behaviors and drug consumption compared with Sprague-Dawley rats. Prior work suggests norepinephrine (NE) signaling in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) could have a role in mediating the…
View article: Stress and Drug Dependence Differentially Modulate Norepinephrine Signaling in Animals with Varied HPA Axis Function
Stress and Drug Dependence Differentially Modulate Norepinephrine Signaling in Animals with Varied HPA Axis Function Open
Previous work has demonstrated the importance of genetic factors and stress-sensitive circuits in the development of affective disorders. Anxiety and numerous psychological disorders are comorbid with substance abuse, and noradrenergic sig…
View article: Medullary Norepinephrine Neurons Modulate Local Oxygen Concentrations in the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis
Medullary Norepinephrine Neurons Modulate Local Oxygen Concentrations in the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis Open
Neurovascular coupling is understood to be the underlying mechanism of functional hyperemia, but the actions of the neurotransmitters involved are not well characterized. Here we investigate the local role of the neurotransmitter norepinep…
View article: Optogenetic interrogation of the role of striatal patches in habit formation and inhibition of striatal dopamine
Optogenetic interrogation of the role of striatal patches in habit formation and inhibition of striatal dopamine Open
Habits are inflexible behaviors that can be maladaptive in diseases including drug addiction. The striatum is integral to habit formation, and interspersed throughout the striatum are patches, or striosomes, which are characterized by uniq…
View article: Perinatal fentanyl exposure leads to long-lasting impairments in somatosensory circuit function and behavior
Perinatal fentanyl exposure leads to long-lasting impairments in somatosensory circuit function and behavior Open
One consequence of the opioid epidemic are lasting neurodevelopmental sequelae afflicting adolescents exposed to opioids in the womb. A translationally relevant and developmentally accurate preclinical model is needed to understand the beh…
View article: Dendritic spine density is increased on nucleus accumbens D2 neurons after chronic social defeat
Dendritic spine density is increased on nucleus accumbens D2 neurons after chronic social defeat Open
Stress alters the structure and function of brain reward circuitry and is an important risk factor for developing depression. In the nucleus accumbens (NAc), structural and physiological plasticity of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) have been …
View article: Cross-hemispheric dopamine projections have functional significance
Cross-hemispheric dopamine projections have functional significance Open
Decades of research have described dopamine’s importance in reward-seeking behavior and motor control. Although numerous investigations have focused on dopamine’s mechanisms in modulating behavior, the long-standing belief that dopamine ne…