Paradoxical role of the mesocorticolimbic Netrin1-DCC pathway in social competition and vulnerability to methamphetamine abuse during adolescence - PubMed
3 hours ago
- #social competition
- #drug abuse
- #neuroscience
- Social competition influences neural development and behavior during adolescence.
- Lower-ranking rodents in social hierarchies are more vulnerable to drug abuse.
- The mesocorticolimbic netrin-1/DCC/UNC5 pathway in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) plays a key role in social competition effects.
- Mice with a DCC gene knockout in dopamine neurons achieved higher social rank but showed increased drug-seeking behaviors.
- Ectopic mesolimbic dopamine fibers in DCC knockout mice enhanced risk-taking behavior in winners.
- The study highlights a molecular mechanism linking social competition to adolescent brain development and drug susceptibility.