Description:
Early life stress (ELS) is a major risk factor for psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and depression, with long-lasting effects on brain function. Emerging evidence suggests that circRNAs are highly responsive to stress, with altered expression and m6A modifications potentially mediating the link between ELS and synaptic dysfunction. This project will investigate the differential expression and m6A methylation of circRNAs in response to ELS, using stress-induced murine models and human iPSC-derived neuronal and glial systems. Functional assays will explore how circRNAs and their m6A methylation patterns modulate stress-related pathways and contribute to psychiatric phenotypes.
Methods:
RNA sequencing and m6A profiling in stress-exposed models.
Functional validation in human neuronal and glial systems.
Behavioral and synaptic studies in murine models of ELS.
Impact:
The findings will provide novel insights into how circRNAs and their m6A methylation link early life stress to psychiatric disorders, paving the way for new therapeutic strategies to mitigate stress-related brain dysfunction.
