Noradrenaline release from the locus coeruleus shapes stress-induced hippocampal gene expression

Abstract

Exposure to an acute stressor triggers a complex cascade of neurochemical events in the brain. However, deciphering their individual impact on stress-induced molecular changes remains a major challenge. Here we combine RNA-sequencing with selective pharmacological, chemogenetic and optogenetic manipulations to isolate the contribution of the locus coeruleus - noradrenaline (LC-NA) system to the acute stress response. We reveal that NA-release during stress exposure regulates a large and reproducible set of genes in the dorsal and ventral hippocampus via β-adrenergic receptors. For a smaller subset of these genes, we show that NA release triggered by LC stimulation is sufficient to mimic the stress-induced transcriptional response. We observe these effects in both sexes, and independent of the pattern and frequency of LC activation. Using a retrograde optogenetic approach, we demonstrate that hippocampus-projecting LC neurons directly regulate hippocampal gene expression. Overall, a highly selective set of astrocyte-enriched genes emerges as key targets of LC-NA activation, most prominently several subunits of protein phosphatase 1 ( Ppp1r3c , Ppp1r3d , Ppp1r3g ) and type II iodothyronine deiodinase ( Dio2 ). These results highlight the importance of astrocytic energy metabolism and thyroid hormone signaling in LC-mediated hippocampal function and offer new molecular targets for understanding how NA impacts brain function in health and disease.