Ketamine activates adult-born immature granule neurons to rapidly alleviate depression-like behaviors in mice
Nature Communications May 12, 2022 Radhika Rawat, Elif Tunc-Ozcan, Tammy L. Mcguire et al. 69 citations
Activation of adult-born immature granule neurons (ABINs) in the mouse hippocampal dentate gyrus is both necessary and sufficient for the rapid antidepressant effects of ketamine. Ketamine activates ABINs in stressed and unstressed mice. Chemogenetic inhibition of ABIN activity blocks ketamine's antidepressant effects, while chemogenetic activation of ABINs mimics both the cellular and behavioral effects of ketamine without changing neuron numbers. These findings identify ABINs as a specific cell population mediating ketamine's antidepressant actions, suggesting that targeting ABINs could preserve therapeutic efficacy while limiting side effects.