Corticotrophin-releasing hormone binding protein in the basolateral amygdala: divergent roles in cocaine and opioid addiction like behaviors

Cocaine and oxycodone use disorders represent urgent public health burdens, with limited treatment options for opioid dependence and no approved pharmacotherapies for cocaine-related disorders, highlighting the critical need to uncover novel molecular targets in the addiction neurocircuitry. The bas...

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Main Authors: Courtney P. Wood, Arnav Gurha, Caitlin Crook, Angelica Martinez, Selen Dirik, Cloe Moreno, Anirudh Vaiyapuri, Avraham Libster, Francesca Telese, Giordano de Guglielmo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-09-01
Series:Addiction Neuroscience
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772392525000276
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author Courtney P. Wood
Arnav Gurha
Caitlin Crook
Angelica Martinez
Selen Dirik
Cloe Moreno
Anirudh Vaiyapuri
Avraham Libster
Francesca Telese
Giordano de Guglielmo
author_facet Courtney P. Wood
Arnav Gurha
Caitlin Crook
Angelica Martinez
Selen Dirik
Cloe Moreno
Anirudh Vaiyapuri
Avraham Libster
Francesca Telese
Giordano de Guglielmo
author_sort Courtney P. Wood
collection DOAJ
description Cocaine and oxycodone use disorders represent urgent public health burdens, with limited treatment options for opioid dependence and no approved pharmacotherapies for cocaine-related disorders, highlighting the critical need to uncover novel molecular targets in the addiction neurocircuitry. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) modulates withdrawal and drug-seeking behaviors in substance use disorders (SUDs), but the molecular drivers of these effects are poorly understood. Here, we investigated the role of corticotrophin-releasing hormone binding protein (CRHBP) in the BLA using viral-mediated knockdown, single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq), and operant self-administration in rats. snRNA-seq revealed Crhbp expression in BLA somatostatin-positive interneurons, with minimal presence in the central amygdala. Crhbp knockdown in the BLA decreased cocaine self-administration and cue-induced reinstatement, suggesting a role in sustaining stimulant addiction. Conversely, it increased oxycodone intake and progressive ratio breakpoints, indicating heightened opioid reinforcement, while also elevating cue-induced reinstatement after 24 h of abstinence, reflecting enhanced opioid-seeking. These opposing effects highlight Crhbp’s substance-specific influence on addiction-related behaviors in the BLA. Our findings position Crhbp as a potential therapeutic target gene for tailored interventions in cocaine and opioid SUDs.
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spelling doaj-art-60a2ecbd3cd945388c22d27f0fa2cc982025-08-20T04:00:32ZengElsevierAddiction Neuroscience2772-39252025-09-011610022110.1016/j.addicn.2025.100221Corticotrophin-releasing hormone binding protein in the basolateral amygdala: divergent roles in cocaine and opioid addiction like behaviorsCourtney P. Wood0Arnav Gurha1Caitlin Crook2Angelica Martinez3Selen Dirik4Cloe Moreno5Anirudh Vaiyapuri6Avraham Libster7Francesca Telese8Giordano de Guglielmo9Psychiatry Department, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USAPsychiatry Department, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USAPsychiatry Department, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA; School of Pharmacy, Pharmacology Unit, University of Camerino, Camerino (MC), 62032, ItalyPsychiatry Department, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USAPsychiatry Department, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA; Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USAPsychiatry Department, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USAPsychiatry Department, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USAPsychiatry Department, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USAPsychiatry Department, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA; Corresponding authors.Psychiatry Department, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA; Corresponding authors.Cocaine and oxycodone use disorders represent urgent public health burdens, with limited treatment options for opioid dependence and no approved pharmacotherapies for cocaine-related disorders, highlighting the critical need to uncover novel molecular targets in the addiction neurocircuitry. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) modulates withdrawal and drug-seeking behaviors in substance use disorders (SUDs), but the molecular drivers of these effects are poorly understood. Here, we investigated the role of corticotrophin-releasing hormone binding protein (CRHBP) in the BLA using viral-mediated knockdown, single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq), and operant self-administration in rats. snRNA-seq revealed Crhbp expression in BLA somatostatin-positive interneurons, with minimal presence in the central amygdala. Crhbp knockdown in the BLA decreased cocaine self-administration and cue-induced reinstatement, suggesting a role in sustaining stimulant addiction. Conversely, it increased oxycodone intake and progressive ratio breakpoints, indicating heightened opioid reinforcement, while also elevating cue-induced reinstatement after 24 h of abstinence, reflecting enhanced opioid-seeking. These opposing effects highlight Crhbp’s substance-specific influence on addiction-related behaviors in the BLA. Our findings position Crhbp as a potential therapeutic target gene for tailored interventions in cocaine and opioid SUDs.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772392525000276AmygdalaAddictionCocaineOxycodoneCorticotrophin-releasing binding protein
spellingShingle Courtney P. Wood
Arnav Gurha
Caitlin Crook
Angelica Martinez
Selen Dirik
Cloe Moreno
Anirudh Vaiyapuri
Avraham Libster
Francesca Telese
Giordano de Guglielmo
Corticotrophin-releasing hormone binding protein in the basolateral amygdala: divergent roles in cocaine and opioid addiction like behaviors
Addiction Neuroscience
Amygdala
Addiction
Cocaine
Oxycodone
Corticotrophin-releasing binding protein
title Corticotrophin-releasing hormone binding protein in the basolateral amygdala: divergent roles in cocaine and opioid addiction like behaviors
title_full Corticotrophin-releasing hormone binding protein in the basolateral amygdala: divergent roles in cocaine and opioid addiction like behaviors
title_fullStr Corticotrophin-releasing hormone binding protein in the basolateral amygdala: divergent roles in cocaine and opioid addiction like behaviors
title_full_unstemmed Corticotrophin-releasing hormone binding protein in the basolateral amygdala: divergent roles in cocaine and opioid addiction like behaviors
title_short Corticotrophin-releasing hormone binding protein in the basolateral amygdala: divergent roles in cocaine and opioid addiction like behaviors
title_sort corticotrophin releasing hormone binding protein in the basolateral amygdala divergent roles in cocaine and opioid addiction like behaviors
topic Amygdala
Addiction
Cocaine
Oxycodone
Corticotrophin-releasing binding protein
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772392525000276
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