Stress and psychiatric disorders lab

Research interest

The central nervous system undergoes dramatic growth during early postnatal development, which is characterized by the elaboration of neural connections and shaping of circuits. During this critical period, the neocortex and the hippocampus are extremely sensitive to adverse environmental factors. Early-life stress, a well-characterized risk factor for psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety-related disorders, may exert profound and persistent negative influences on the development, plasticity and function of the neocortex and hippocampus. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain to be elucidated. By using early-life stress paradigm(s) and applying morphological, behavioral, molecular, and pharmacological approaches, we aim to investigate the effects of early-life stress on the neocortex and hippocampus and learning and memory. Moreover, the involvement of key stress mediators (glucocorticoids and glucocorticoid receptors as well as corticotropin-releasing hormone and its receptors) and synaptic molecules will be studied.

The Wang Lab Homepage:

http://thewanglab.wix.com/thewanglab

Selected papers

Wang XD* and Schmidt MV (2016). Editorial: Molecular mechanisms for reprogramming hippocampal development and function by early-life stress. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 9:6. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2016.00006.

Liu R, Yang XD, Liao XM, Xie XM, Su YA, Li JT, Wang XD*, Si TM* (2016). Early postnatal stress suppresses the developmental trajectory of hippocampal pyramidal neurons: the role of CRHR1. Brain Structure and Function, in press, DOI: 10.1007/s00429-016-1182-4.

Yang XD, Liao XM, Uribe-Mariño A, Liu R, Xie XM, Jia J, Su YA, Li JT, Schmidt MV, Wang XD*, Si TM* (2015). Stress during a critical postnatal period induces region-specific structural abnormalities and dysfunction of the prefrontal cortex via CRF₁. Neuropsychopharmacology 40, 1203-1215.

Liao XM, Yang XD, Jia J, Li JT, Xie XM, Su YA, Schmidt MV, Si TM*, Wang XD* (2014). Blockade of corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 1 attenuates early-life stress-induced synaptic abnormalities in the neonatal hippocampus. Hippocampus 25, 528-540.

Wang XD, Su YA, Avrabos C, Wagner KV, Liebl C, Wolf M, Scharf SH, Hartmann J, Wurst W, Holsboer F, Eder M, Deussing JM, Müller MB, Schmidt MV* (2013). Nectin-3 links CRHR1 signaling to stress-induced memory deficits and spine loss. Nature Neuroscience 16, 706-713.

Wang XD, Labermaier C, Holsboer F, Wurst W, Deussing JM, Müller MB, Schmidt MV* (2012). Early-life stress-induced anxiety-related behavior in adult mice partially requires forebrain corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 1. European Journal of Neuroscience 36, 2360-2367.

Wang XD*, Rammes G, Kraev I, Wolf M, Liebl C, Scharf SH, Rice CJ, Wurst W, Holsboer F, Deussing JM, Baram TZ, Stewart MG, Müller MB, Schmidt MV (2011). Forebrain CRF1 modulates early life stress-programmed cognitive deficits. The Journal of Neuroscience 31, 13625-13634.

Wang XD*, Chen Y, Wolf M, Wagner KV, Liebl C, Scharf SH, Harbich D, Mayer B, Wurst W, Holsboer F, Deussing JM, Baram TZ, Müller MB, Schmidt MV (2011). Forebrain CRHR1 deficiency attenuates chronic stress-induced cognitive deficits and dendritic remodeling. Neurobiology of Disease 42, 300-31.