A subtype (DNMT3a) of DNA methyl transferase acts in morphine drug-hunting behavior.

Addiction drug-enhanced operational behavioral response is one of the characteristics of drug abuse and addiction, in the process of obtaining this operational condition reflex, the relationship between the environment/clue and the drug reward effect is an important reason that the environment/lead after long-term withdrawal will induce resuction.
previous studies have focused on the role of receptors or protein kinases in the formation of addictive behaviors, but this cannot explain why the behavior can be sustained over the long term.
DNA methylation, which mainly blocks the binding of transcription factors by adding methyl to the cytosine in the gene promoter region, inhibits gene expression over a long period of time, and may be a key molecular mechanism for the long-term existence of addictive behavior.
researchers in the Sannan Research Group, A ubilate, a key laboratory of mental health at the Institute of Psychology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, demonstrated that a subtype of DNA methyl transferase (DNMT3a) plays a key role in the acquisition of morphine drug-hunting behavior by applying the behavioral paradigm of morphine self-drug.
study found that after one and seven days of self-administered morphine self-administration, the expression of DNMT3a (not DNMT3b) in the hippocampus 1 (not the vulva nuclear shell NAc Shell) increased significantly (see Figure 1).
specific expression of DNMT3a in CA1 (see Figure 2) can effectively inhibit the acquisition of morphine self-drug behavior.
the study suggests that DNMT3a in hippocampus1 plays an important role in morphine self-drug behavior and provides a potential target for curbing the formation of opioid addiction.
research work is funded by the National Key Basic Research and Development Program (973 Program), the National Natural Science Foundation of China project and the Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
research published in Addiction Biology.
Source: Institute of Psychology.