Leonie Herburg

Ms. Leonie Herburg

orcid

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

4Years (2023-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

View All Publications
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
LHLeonie Herburg
Leonie Herburg
MRMathias Rhein
Mathias Rhein
SKSabrina Kubinski
Sabrina Kubinski
EKEkaterini Kefalakes
Ekaterini Kefalakes
MGMatar Levin Greenwald
Matar Levin Greenwald
CGClaudia Grothe
Claudia Grothe
Alcohol abuse accounts for 3.3 million deaths annually, rendering it a global health issue. Recently, fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2) and its target, fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1), were discovered to positively regulate alcohol-drinking behaviors in mice. We tested whether alcohol intake and withdrawal alter DNA methylation of Fgf-2 and Fgfr1 and if there is a correlation regarding mRNA expression of these genes. Blood and brain tissues of mice receiving alcohol intermittently over a six-week period were analyzed using direct bisulfite sequencing and qRT-PCR analysis. Assessment of Fgf-2 and Fgfr1 promoter methylation revealed changes in the methylation of cytosines in the alcohol group compared with the control group. Moreover, we showed that the altered cytosines coincided with binding motives of several transcription factors. We also found that Fgf-2 and Fgfr1 gene expression was significantly decreased in alcohol-receiving mice compared with control littermates, and that this effect was specifically detected in the dorsomedial striatum, a brain region involved in the circuitry of the reward system. Overall, our data showed alcohol-induced alterations in both mRNA expression and methylation pattern of Fgf-2 and Fgfr1. Furthermore, these alterations showed a reward system regional specificity, therefore, resembling potential targets for future pharmacological interventions.

1 May 2023
Verified
Conference Paper
Closed access
PBPhilippe Barbosa
Philippe Barbosa
ODOlga Danov
Olga Danov
Gael MartinGael Martin
Gael Martin
LHLeonie Herburg
Leonie Herburg
HOH. Obernolte
H. Obernolte
KSKatherina Sewald
Katherina Sewald