. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2017 Feb 28.

Published in final edited form as: Prog Mol Biol Transl Sci. 2015 Nov 17;137:1–40. doi: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2015.10.017

Table 2.

Effects of interfering ERK signaling-related genes/proteins on drug-induced behaviors

Target genes/proteins	Behavioral effects	References
Ca²⁺-stimulated AC1/AC8 (KO)	↑ acute cocaine-induced locomotion ↓ development of cocaine locomotor sensitization	¹²⁴
Ras-GRF-1 (KO)	↓ development and expression of cocaine locomotor sensitization ↓ cocaine-CPP ↓ repeated THC-induced behavioral tolerance	^127,199,200
Ras-GRF-1 (OE)	↑ development and expression of cocaine locomotor sensitization ↑ cocaine-CPP	¹²⁷
Ras-GRF-2 (KO)	↓ ethanol intake and preference (two bottle free choice task)	²⁴²
ERK1 (KO)	↑ basal locomotor activity ↑ acute amphetamine-induced locomotion ↑ development of cocaine locomotor sensitization ↑ cocaine-CPP	^{34,128,152,153}
ERK1 (KD in the PFC)	↑ basal locomotor activity ↑ acute amphetamine-induced locomotion	¹⁵⁴
ERK2 (OE in the VTA)	↑ development and expression of cocaine locomotor sensitization ↑ cocaine-CPP	¹³⁰
ERK2 (KD in the VTA)	↓ development and expression of cocaine locomotor sensitization ↓ cocaine-CPP	¹³⁰
MSK-1 (KO)	↓ development and expression of cocaine locomotor sensitization ↑ cocaine-CPP	⁷⁹
Inhibition of pElk-1	↓ development and expression of cocaine locomotor sensitization ↓ the establishment of cocaine-CPP	⁷⁴

KO = knockdown; KD = knockdown; OE = overexpression; ↑ = enhancing effect; ↓ = inhibiting effect