Networking Begins Early in Life

A new publication by the Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR) and the University Medical Center Mainz, entitled “Glucocorticoid receptors in oligodendrocyte precursor cells regulate hippocampal network plasticity and stress-induced behavior in mice”, shows that the brain’s ability to respond flexibly to stress later in life is already shaped during early development. 

The study focuses on so-called oligodendrocyte precursor cells. These cells develop into cells that surround nerve fibers with a protective insulating layer called myelin, thereby enabling the rapid transmission of information throughout the brain. 

Using a mouse model, the researchers investigated how stress hormones affect these cells. To do so, they selectively switched off glucocorticoid receptors, which serve as binding sites for stress hormones such as cortisol. The effects persisted into adulthood: myelination was altered, neuronal networks responded differently to stress hormones, and certain learning and memory processes in the hippocampus were also affected. 

The findings show that nerve cells are not the only cells involved in the brain’s long-term adaptation to stress. Other cell types can also influence, from early stages of development, how flexibly neuronal networks respond to stress later in life. 

Read the full press release here. 

Read the publication here.