Figure 5.

Effects of early-life stress on hippocampal neurexin-1 and neuroligin-3 gene expression in adult wild-type and CRF₁-CKO mice. A, Neurexin-1 mRNA expression in area CA3 was reduced by early-life stress in wild-type but not CRF₁-CKO mice. B, Representative in situ hybridization images showing neurexin-1 mRNA expression in the hippocampus. C, Neuroligin-3 mRNA levels in area CA1 were reduced by early-life stress in both wild-type and CRF₁-CKO mice. D, Representative in situ hybridization images showing neuroligin-3 mRNA expression in the hippocampus. E, CRF₁ and neurexins partially colocalized in the perisomatic terminals and dendrites of CA1 pyramidal neurons. Arrows indicate CRF₁-EGFP and neurexins colocalized puncta. CT, Control; ES, early-life stress; KO, CRF₁-CKO. Scale bars: Left and middle two panels, 10 μm; right panel, 2 μm. *p < 0.05 versus the control group. n = 6–11 mice per group.