UC Irvine

Drugs of abuse can persistently change the reward circuit in ways that contribute to relapse behavior, partly via mechanisms that regulate chromatin structure and function. Nuclear orphan receptor subfamily4 groupA member2 (NR4A2, also known as NURR1) is an important effector of histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3)-dependent mechanisms in persistent memory processes and is highly expressed in the medial habenula (MHb), a region that regulates nicotine-associated behaviors. Here, expressing the Nr4a2 dominant negative (Nurr2c) in the MHb blocks reinstatement of cocaine seeking in mice. We use single-nucleus transcriptomics to characterize the molecular cascade following Nr4a2 manipulation, revealing changes in transcriptional networks related to addiction, neuroplasticity, and GABAergic and glutamatergic signaling. The network controlled by NR4A2 is characterized using a transcription factor regulatory network inference algorithm. These results identify the MHb as a pivotal regulator of relapse behavior and demonstrate the importance of NR4A2 as a key mechanism driving the MHb component of relapse.