ETS-1 is a transcription factor that is a member of the E26 transformation-specific(ETS) family. Galanin receptor 2(Gal R2), a subtype of receptors of the neuropeptide galanin, has been shown to have an antidepressant-like effect after activation in rodents. Our previous study has shown that overexpression of ETS-1 increases the expression of Gal R2 in PC12 phaeochromocytoma cells. However, whether ETS-1 has an antidepressant-like effect is still unclear. In this study, we found that chronic mild stress(CMS) decreased the expression of both ETS-1 and Gal R2 in the ventral hippocampus of rats. Meanwhile,we demonstrated that overexpression of ETS-1 increased the expression of Gal R2 in primary hippocampal neurons.Importantly, we showed that overexpression of ETS-1 in the ventral hippocampus counteracted the depression-like behaviors of CMS rats. Furthermore, we found that overexpression of ETS-1 increased the level of downstream phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1 and 2(p-ERK1/2) of Gal R2 in the ventral hippocampus of CMS rats. Taken together, our findings suggest that ETS-1 has an antidepressant-like effect in rats,which might be mediated by increasing the level of Gal R2 and its downstream p-ERK1/2 in the ventral hippocampus.
Hanjiang LuoZijin LiuBo LiuHui LiYutao YangZhi-Qing David Xu
