Alcohol Exposure Decreases CREB Binding Protein Expression and Histone Acetylation in the Developing Cerebellum
Year: 2011
Type: article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Fetal alcohol exposure affects 1 in 100 children making it the leading cause of mental retardation in the US. It has long been known that alcohol affects cerebellum development and function. However, the underlying molecular mechanism is unclear. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We demonstrate that CREB binding protein (CBP) is widely expressed in granule and Purkinje neurons of the developing cerebellar cortex of naïve rats. We also show that exposure to ethanol during the 3(rd) trimester-equivalent of human pregnancy reduces CBP levels. CBP is a histone acetyltransferase, a component of the epigenetic mechanism controlling neuronal gene expression. We further demonstrate that the acetylation of both histone H3 and H4 is reduced in the cerebellum of ethanol-treated rats. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These findings indicate that ethanol exposure decreases the expression and function of CBP in the developing cerebellum. This effect of ethanol may be responsible for the motor coordination deficits that characterize fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
Source: PLoS ONE
Authors: Weixiang Guo, Erin L. Crossey, Li Zhang, Stefano Zucca, Olivia L. George, C. Fernando Valenzuela, Xinyu Zhao
Institution: University of New Mexico
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,382
Awards: Alcohol and Developing Neuronal Circuits, Translational Regulation of Adult Neural Stem Cells, G174765755, G1747843955, G2976548339, Fetal ethanol-induced behavioral deficits: Mechanisms, diagnoses and intervention, G4999636396, Alcohol and cerebellar circuits, Role of small RNAs in Neurogenesis, Alcohol and cerebellar circuits, G9000276502, Academic Science Education and Research Training, Alcohol and Developing Neuronal Circuits
OpenAlex ID: W2076731913