TDAG51 is a crucial regulator of maternal care and depressive-like behavior after parturition

• Published in: PLoS genetics Vol. 15; no. 6; p. e1008214
• Main Authors: Yun, Hyeongseok, Park, Eui-Soon, Choi, Seunga, Shin, Bongjin, Yu, Jungeun, Yu, Jiyeon, Amarasekara, Dulshara Sachini, Kim, Sumi, Lee, Nari, Choi, Jong-Soon, Choi, Yongwon, Rho, Jaerang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 28-06-2019; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Animals; Biochemistry; Biology and Life Sciences; Brain; Brain - metabolism; Brain research; Cell death; Depression (Mood disorder); Depressive Disorder - genetics; Depressive Disorder - physiopathology; Female; Fetuses; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation - genetics; Genes; Genetic research; Hormones; Humans; Lymphocytes T; Maternal Behavior; Medicine and Health Sciences; Mental depression; Mental disorders; Mice; Mice, Knockout; Molecular biology; Monoamines; Nest building; Neurotransmitter Agents - genetics; Novels; Nursing; Oxidative stress; Parturition; Parturition - genetics; Parturition - physiology; Physical Sciences; Physiological aspects; Physiology; Postpartum; Postpartum depression; Pregnancy; Proteins; Research and Analysis Methods; Risk factors; Serotonin; Social Sciences; T cells; Transcription Factors - genetics; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; South Korea
• ISSN: 1553-7404; 1553-7390; 1553-7404
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008214

Postpartum depression is a severe emotional and mental disorder that involves maternal care defects and psychiatric illness. Postpartum depression is closely associated with a combination of physical changes and physiological stress during pregnancy or after parturition in stress-sensitive women. Although postpartum depression is relatively well known to have deleterious effects on the developing fetus, the influence of genetic risk factors on the development of postpartum depression remains unclear. In this study, we discovered a novel function of T cell death-associated gene 51 (TDAG51/PHLDA1) in the regulation of maternal and depressive-like behavior. After parturition, TDAG51-deficient dams showed impaired maternal behavior in pup retrieving, nursing and nest building tests. In contrast to the normal dams, the TDAG51-deficient dams also exhibited more sensitive depressive-like behaviors after parturition. Furthermore, changes in the expression levels of various maternal and depressive-like behavior-associated genes regulating neuroendocrine factor and monoamine neurotransmitter levels were observed in TDAG51-deficient postpartum brain tissues. These findings indicate that TDAG51 plays a protective role against maternal care defects and depressive-like behavior after parturition. Thus, TDAG51 is a maternal care-associated gene that functions as a crucial regulator of maternal and depressive-like behavior after parturition.