Publications

Anpilov S, Shemesh Y, Benjamin A, Biagini T, Umanski D, Zur Y, Sztainberg Y, Richter-Levin A, Forkosh O, Chen A.
Group Social Dynamics in a Seminatural Setup Reflect the Adaptive Value of Aggression in Male Mice. Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science. doi:10.1016/j.bpsgos.2024.100399.

Shemesh Y, Benjamin A, Shoshani-Haye K, Yizhar O, Chen A.
Studying dominance and aggression requires ethologically relevant paradigms. Current opinion in neurobiology. doi: 10.1016/j.conb.2024.102879.

Lopez JP, Chen A.
Neuropsychiatric research in 2023: mechanisms of stress and therapies. The Lancet Neurology. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(23)00469-6.

Kos A, Lopez JP, Bordes J, de Donno C, Dine J, Brivio E, Karamihalev S, Luecken MD, Almeida-Correa S, Gasperoni S, Dick A, Miranda L, Büttner M, Stoffel R, Flachskamm C, Theis FJ, Schmidt MV, Chen A.
Early life adversity shapes social subordination and cell type–specific transcriptomic patterning in the ventral hippocampus. Science Advances. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adj3793.

Lebow M, Kuperman Y, Chen A. Chapter 19 - Prenatal-induced psychopathologies: All roads lead to microglia. Stress: immunology and inflammation. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-817558-3.00016-0.

Brivio E, Kos A, Ulivi AF, Karamihalev S, Ressle A, Stoffel R, Hirsch D, Stelzer G, Schmidt M, Lopez JP, Chen A.
Sex shapes cell-type-specific transcriptional signatures of stress exposure in the mouse hypothalamus. Cell Reports, 42(8). doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112874.‏

Shemesh Y, Chen A.
A paradigm shift in translational psychiatry through rodent neuroethology. Mol Psychiatry. doi: 10.1038/s41380-022-01913-z.

Ruat J, Genewsky AJ, Heinz DE, Kaltwasser SF, Canteras NS, Czisch M, Chen A, Wotjak CT.
Why do mice squeak? Toward a better understanding of defensive vocalization. iScience, 25(7):104657. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104657.

Lopez JP, Lücken MD, Brivio E, Karamihalev S, Kos A, De Donno C, Benjamin A, Yang H, Dick ALW, Stoffel R, Flachskamm C, Ressle A, Roeh S, Huettl RE, Parl A, Eggert C, Novak B, Yan Y, Yeoh K, Holzapfel M, Hauger B, Harbich D, Schmid B, Di Giaimo R, Turck CW, Schmidt MV, Deussing JM, Eder M, Dine J, Theis FJ, Chen A.

Ketamine exerts its sustained antidepressant effects via cell-type-specific regulation of Kcnq2. Neuron, doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.05.001.

Amitai M, Kaffman S, Kroizer E, Lebow M, Magen I, Benaroya-Milshtein N, Fennig S, Weizman A, Apter A, Chen A.
Neutrophil to-lymphocyte and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratios as biomarkers for suicidal behavior in children and adolescents with depression or anxiety treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Brain Behav. Immun.. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2022.04.018.

Ruat J, Hartmann A, Heinz DE, Nemcova P, Stoffel R, Deussing JM, Chen A, Wotjak CT.

CB1 receptors in corticotropin-releasing factor neurons selectively control the acoustic startle response in male mice. Genes Brain Behav., 2021;e12775. doi: 10.1111/gbb.12775.

Furman O, Tsoory M, Chen A.
Differential chronic social stress models in male and female mice. Eur J Neurosci. doi: 10.1111/ejn.15481

Benjamin A, Kuperman Y, Eren N, Rotkopf R, Amitai M, Rossman H, Shilo S, Meir T, Keshet A, Nuttman-Shwartz O, Segal E, Chen A.
Stress-related emotional and behavioural impact following the first COVID-19 outbreak peak. Mol Psychiatry. doi: 10.1038/s41380-021-01219-6.

Ruat J, Heinz DE, Binder FP, Stark T, Neuner R, Hartmann A, Kaplick PM, Chen A, Czisch M, Wotjak CT.
Structural correlates of trauma-induced hyperarousal in mice. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 111:110404. doi: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2021.110404.

Dick ALW, Chen A.
The role of TET proteins in stress-induced neuroepigenetic and behavioural adaptations. Neurobiol Stress 15:100352. doi: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100352. eCollection 2021 Nov.

Mevorach T, Taler M, Dar S, Lebow M, Schorr Sapir I, Rotkopf R, Apter A, Fennig S, Chen A, Weizman A, Amitai M.
The relationship between the plasma proinflammatory cytokine levels of depressed/anxious children and their parents. Sci Rep 11, Article number: 11798. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-90971-4.

Bortolozzi A, Manashirov S, Chen A, Artigas F.
Oligonucleotides as therapeutic tools for brain disorders: Focus on major depressive disorder and Parkinson's disease. Pharmacol Ther. 2021 Apr 26;107873. doi: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2021.107873.

Lee CR, Chen A, Tye KM.
The neural circuitry of social homeostasis: Consequences of acute versus chronic social isolation. Cell, 184 (6): 1500-1516. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.02.028.

Lopez JP, Brivio E, Santambrogio A, De Donno C, Kos A, Peters M, Rost N, Czamara D, Brückl TM, Roeh S, Pöhlmann ML, Engelhardt C, Ressle A, Stoffel R, Tontsch A, Villamizar JM, Reincke M, Riester A, Sbiera S, Fassnacht M, Mayberg HS, Craighead WE, Dunlop BW, Nemeroff CB, Schmidt MV, Binder EB, Theis FJ, Beuschlein F, Andoniadou CL, Chen A.
Single-cell molecular profiling of all three components of the HPA axis reveals adrenal ABCB1 as a regulator of stress adaptation. Science Advances, vol. 7, no. 5, eabe4497.

Fiori LM, Kos A, Lin R, Théroux JF, Lopez JP, Kühne C, Eggert C, Holzapfel M, Hüttl RE, Mechawar N, Belzung C, Ibrahim EC, Chen A, Turecki G.
miR-323a regulates ERBB4 and is involved in depression. Mol Psychiatry. doi: 10.1038/s41380-020-00953-7.

Amitai M, Taler M, Lebow M, Ben-Baruch R, Apter A, Fennig S, Weizman A, Chen A
An increase in IL-6 levels at 6-month follow-up visit is associated with SSRI-emergent suicidality in high-risk children and adolescents treated with fluoxetine. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol, 40, 61-69. doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2020.07.007

Karamihalev S, Brivio E, Flachskamm F, Stoffel R, Schmidt MV, Chen A.
Social dominance mediates behavioral adaptation to chronic stress in a sex-specific manner. eLife, 9:e58723. doi: 10.7554/eLife.58723.

Anpilov S, Shemesh Y, Eren N, Harony-Nicolas H, Benjamin A, Dine J, Oliveira VEM, Forkosh O, Karamihalev K, Hüttl RE, Feldman N, Berger R, Dagan A, Chen G, Neumann ID, Wagner S, Yizhar O, Chen A.
Wireless optogenetic stimulation of oxytocin neurons in a semi-natural setup dynamically elevates both pro-social and agonistic behaviors. Neuron. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.05.028.

Brivio E, Lopez JP, Chen A.
Sex differences: Transcriptional signatures of stress exposure in male and female brains. Genes Brain Behav., e12643. doi: 10.1111/gbb.12643.

Amitai M, Taler M, Ben-Baruch R, Lebow M, Rotkopf R, Apter A, Fennig S, Weizman A, Chen A.
Increased circulatory IL-6 during 8-week fluoxetine treatment is a risk factor for suicidal behaviors in youth. Brain Behav Immun., pii: S0889-1591(19)31330-3.

Lerner S, Anderzhanova E, Verbitsky S, Eilam R, Kuperman Y, Tsoory M, Kuznetsov Y, Brandis A, Mehlman T, Mazkereth R, UCDC Neuropsychologists, McCarter R, Segal M, Nagamani SCS, Chen A, Erez A.
ASL Metabolically Regulates Tyrosine Hydroxylase in the Nucleus Locus Coeruleus. Cell Rep., 29 (8): 2144-2153.

Forkosh O, Karamihalev S, Röh S, Alon U, Anpilov S, Touma C, Nussbaumer M, Flachskamm C, Kaplick PM, Shemesh Y, Chen A.
Identity domains capture individual differences from across the behavioral repertoire. Nat Neurosci., 22 (12): 2023-2028.

Karamihalev S, Flachskamm C, Eren N, Kimura M, Chen A.
Social context and dominance status contribute to sleep patterns and quality in groups of freely-moving mice. Sci. Rep. 9, Article number: 15190.

Edited by Alon Chen.
Stress Resilience: Molecular and Behavioral Aspects. Elsevier Academic Press. DOI: 10.1016/C2016-0-03233-3.

Lebow MA, Schroeder M, Tsoory M, Holzman-Karniel D, Mehta D, Ben-Dor S, Gil S, Bradley B, Smith AK, Jovanovic T, Ressler KJ, Binder EB, Chen A.
Glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper “quantifies” stressors and increases male susceptibility to PTSD. Transl. Psychiatry, volume 9, Article number: 178.

Dick ALW, Khermesh K, Paul E, Stamp F, Levanon EY, Chen A.
Adenosine-to-Inosine RNA Editing Within Corticolimbic Brain Regions Is Regulated in Response to Chronic Social Defeat Stress in Mice. Front. Psychiatry 10:277. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00277.

Schroeder M, Jakovcevski M, Polacheck T, Drori Y, Ben-Dor S, Röh S, Chen A.
Sex dependent impact of gestational stress on predisposition to eating disorders and metabolic disease. Mol Metab. pii: S2212-8778(18)30624-0.

Deussing JM and Chen A.
The Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Family: Physiology of the Stress Response. Physiol Rev. 98(4):2225-2286.

Engel M, Eggert C, Kaplick PM, Eder M, Roeh S, Tietze L, Namendorf C, Arloth J, Weber P, Rex-Haffner M, Geula S, Jakovcevski M, Hanna JH, Leshkowitz D, Uhr M, Wotjak CT, Schmidt MV, Deussing JM, Binder EB, Chen A.
The Role of m6A/m-RNA Methylation in Stress Response Regulation. Neuron. 99(2):389-403.e9.

Ezra-Nevo G, Prestori F, Locatelli F, Soda T, ten Brinke M, Engel M, Boele H, Botta L, Leshkowitz D, Ramot A, Tsoory M, Biton I, Deussing J, D'Angelo E, De Zeeuw C, Chen A.
Cerebellar learning properties are modulated by the CRF receptor in granular cells. J Neurosci. 3106-15.

Ezra-Nevo G, Volk N, Ramot A, Kühne C, Tsoory M, Deussing JM, Chen A.
Inferior olive CRF plays a role in motor performance under challenging conditions. Transl. Psychiatry. 8:107.

Dedic N, Kühne C, Jakovcevski M, Hartmann J, Genewsky AJ, Gomes KS, Anderzhanova E, Pöhlmann ML, Chang S, Kolarz A, Vogl AM, Dine J, Metzger MW, Schmid B, Almada RC, Ressler KJ, Wotjak CT, Grinevich V, Chen A, Schmidt MV, Wurst W, Refojo D, Deussing JM.
Chronic CRH depletion from GABAergic, long-range projection neurons in the extended amygdala reduces dopamine release and increases anxiety. Nat Neurosci. 21(6):803-807.

Schroeder M, Jakovcevski M, Polacheck T, Drori Y, Luoni A, Röh S, Zaugg J, Ben-Dor S, Albrecht C, Chen A.
Placental miR-340 mediates vulnerability to activity based anorexia in mice. Nat Commun. 9(1):1596.

Pardo M, Kuperman Y, Levin L, Rudich A, Haim Y, Schauer JJ, Chen A, Rudich Y.
Exposure to air pollution interacts with obesogenic nutrition to induce tissue-specific response patterns. Environ Pollut. 239:532-543.

Schroeder M, Drori Y, Ben-Efraim YJ, Chen A.
Hypothalamic miR-219 regulates individual metabolic differences in response to diet-induced weight cycling. Mol Metab. 9:176-186.

Balsevich G, Häusl AS, Meyer CW, Karamihalev S, Feng X, Pöhlmann ML, Dournes C, Uribe-Marino A, Santarelli S, Labermaier C, Hafner K, Mao T, Breitsamer M, Theodoropoulou M, Namendorf C, Uhr M, Paez-Pereda M, Winter G, Hausch F, Chen A, Tschöp MH, Rein T, Gassen NC, Schmidt MV.
Stress-responsive FKBP51 regulates AKT2-AS160 signaling and metabolic function. Nat Commun. 8(1):1725.

Engel M and Chen A.
The emerging role of mRNA methylation in normal and pathological behavior. Genes Brain Behav. 2017;e12428.

Schroeder M, Jakovcevski M, Polacheck T, Lebow M, Drori Y, Engel M, Ben-Dor S, Chen A.
A Methyl-Balanced Diet Prevents CRF-Induced Prenatal Stress-Triggered Predisposition to Binge Eating-like Phenotype. Cell Metab. 25:1269-1281.

Dedic N, Chen A, Deussing JM.
The CRF family of neuropeptides and their receptors - mediators of the central stress response. Curr Mol Pharmacol. 11(1):4-31.

Ramot A, Jiang Z, Tian JB, Nahum T, Kuperman Y, Justice NJ, Chen A.
Hypothalamic CRFR1 is essential for HPA axis regulation following chronic stress. Nat Neurosci. 20:385-388.

Volk N, Pape JC, Engel M, Zannas AS, Cattane N, Cattaneo A, Binder EB, Chen A.
Amygdalar MicroRNA-15a Is Essential for Coping with Chronic Stress. Cell Rep. 17:1882-1891.

Henckens MJAG, Deussing JM, Chen A.
Region-specific roles of the corticotropin-releasing factor-urocortin system in stress. Nat Rev Neurosci. 17:636-651.

Henckens MJAG, Printz Y, Shamgar U, Lebow M, Drori Y, Kuehne C, Kolarz A, Deussing JM, Justice NJ, Yizhar O, Chen A.
The posterior bed nucleus of the stria terminalis critically contributes to stress recovery. Mol. Psychiatry 22:1691–1700.

Shemesh Y, Forkosh O, Mahn M, Anpilov S, Sztainberg Y, Manashirov S, Shlapobersky T, Eliott E, Tabouy L, Ezra G, Adler ES, Ben-Efraim Y, Gil S, Kuperman Y, Haramati S, Dine J, Eder M, Deussing JM, Schneidman E, Yizhar O, Chen A.
Ucn3–CRFR2 in the medial amygdala regulates complex social dynamics. Nat Neurosci. 19:1489-1496.

Kuperman Y, Weiss M, Dine J, Staikin K, Golani O, Ramot A, Nahum T, Kühne C, Shemesh Y, Wurst W, Harmelin A, Deussing JM, Eder M and Chen A.
CRFR1 in AgRP neurons modulates sympathetic nervous system activity to adapt to cold stress and fasting. Cell Metab. 23:1185-1199.

Lebow M and Chen A.
Overshadowed by the amygdala: the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis emerges as key to psychiatric disorders. Mol. Psychiatry 21:450-463.

Elliott E, Manashirov S, Zwang R, Gil S, Tsoory M, Shemesh Y, Chen A.
Dnmt3a in the medial prefrontal cortex regulates anxiety-like behavior in adult mice. J Neurosci. 36:730-740.

Issler O and Chen A.
Determining the role of microRNAs in psychiatric disorders. Nat Rev Neurosci. 16:201-212. [20]

Volk N, Paul ED, Haramati S, Eitan C, Fields BK, Zwang R, Gil S, Lowry CA, Chen A.
MicroRNA-19b associates with Ago2 in the amygdala following chronic stress and regulates the adrenergic receptor beta 1. J Neurosci. 34:15070-15082. [10]

Chen NA, Jupp B, Sztainberg Y, Lebow M, Brown RM, Kim JH, Chen A, Lawrence AJ.
Knockdown of CRF1 receptors in the ventral tegmental area attenuates cue- and acute food deprivation stress-induced cocaine seeking in mice. J Neurosci. 34:11560-11570. [5]

Issler O, Haramati S, Paul ED, Maeno H, Navon I, Zwang R, Gil S, Mayberg HS, Dunlop BW, Menke A, Awatramani R, Binder EB, Deneris ES, Lowry CA, Chen A.
MicroRNA 135 is essential for chronic stress resiliency, antidepressant efficacy, and intact serotonergic activity. Neuron 83:344-360. [75]

Shemesh Y, Sztainberg Y, Forkosh O, Shlapobersky T, Chen A, Schneidman E.
High-order social interactions in groups of mice. eLife 2:e00759. [19]

Greenman Y, Kuperman Y, Drori Y, Asa SL, Navon I, Forkosh O, Gil S, Stern N, Chen A.
Postnatal Ablation of POMC Neurons Induces an Obese Phenotype Characterized by Decreased Food Intake and Enhanced Anxiety-Like Behavior. Mol Endocrinol. 27:1091-1102. [19]

Lucas M, Chen A, Richter-Levin G.
Hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor is centrally involved in learning under moderate stress. Neuropsychopharmacology 38:1825-1832.

Neufeld-Cohen A, Kelly PA, Paul ED, Carter RN, Skinner E, Olverman HJ, Vaughan JM, Issler O, Kuperman Y, Lowry CA, Vale WW, Seckl JR, Chen A, Jamieson PM.
Chronic activation of corticotropin-releasing factor type 2 receptors reveals a key role for 5-HT1A receptor responsiveness in mediating behavioral and serotonergic responses to stressful challenge. Biol Psychiatry 72:437-447. [17]

Bale TL, Chen A.
Minireview: CRF and Wylie Vale: A Story of 41 Amino Acids and a Texan with Grit. Endocrinology 153:2556-2561. [11]

Lebow M, Neufeld-Cohen A, Kuperman Y, Gil S and Chen A.
Susceptibility to PTSD is mediated by CRF receptor type 2 levels in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. J Neurosci. 32:6906-6916. [33]

Regev R, Tsoory M, Gil S, Chen A.
Site-specific genetic manipulation of amygdala CRF reveals its imperative role in mediating behavioral response to challenge. Biol Psychiatry 71:317-326. [41]

Amir-Zilberstein L, Blechman J, Sztainberg Y, Norton WHJ, Reuveny A, Borodovsky N, Tahor M, Bonkowsky JL, Chen A, Levkowitz G.
Homeodomain Protein Otp and Activity-Dependent Splicing Modulate Neuronal Adaptation to Stress. Neuron 73:279-291. [28]

Sztainberg Y, Kuperman Y, Justice N, Chen A.
An anxiolytic role for CRF receptor type 1 in the globus pallidus. J Neurosci. 31:17416-17424. [21]

Haramati H, Navon I, Issler O, Ezra-Nevo G, Gil1 S, Zwang R Hornstein E, Chen A.
microRNA as repressors of stress induced anxiety: the case of amygdalar miR-34. J Neurosci. 31:14191-14203. [95]

Regev L, Neufeld A, Tsoory M, Kuperman Y, Getselter D, Chen A.
Prolonged and site-specific over-expression of corticotropin releasing factor reveals differential role for extended amygdala nuclei in emotional regulation. Mol. Psychiatry 6:714-728.

Jamieson PM, Cleasby ME, Kuperman Y, Morton NM, Kelly PAT, Brownstein DG, Mustard KJ, Vaughan JM, Carter RN, Hahn CN, Hardie DG, Seckl JR, Chen A, Vale WW.
Urocortin 3 transgenic mice exhibit a metabolically favorable phenotype resisting obesity and hyperglycemia on a high fat diet. Diabetologia 54:2392-2403. [13]

Rousso-Noori L, Knobler H, Levy-Apter E, Kuperman Y, Neufeld-Cohen A, Keshet Y, Akepati VR, Klinghoffer RA, Chen A, Elson A.
Protein tyrosine phosphatase epsilon affects body weight by downregulating leptin signaling in a phosphorylation-dependent manner. Cell Metab. 13:562-572. [24]

Kuperman Y, Issler O, Vaughan J, Bilezikjian L, Vale W, Chen A.
Expression and regulation of corticotropin-releasing factor receptor type 2β in developing and mature mouse skeletal muscle. Mol Endocrinol. 25:157-169. [10]

Elliott E, Ezra-Nevo G, Regev L, Neufeld-Cohen A, Chen A.
Resilience to social stress coincides with functional DNA methylation of the CRF gene in adult mice. Nat Neurosci. 13:1351-1353. [201]

Neufeld-Cohen A, Tsoory M, Evans AK, Getselter D, Gil S, Lowry CA, Vale W, Chen A.
A triple urocortin knockout mouse model reveals an essential role for urocortins in stress recovery. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 107:19020-19025. [51]

Sztainberg Y and Chen A.
An environmental enrichment model for mice. Nat Protoc. 5:1535-1539. [44]

Haramati S, Chapnik E, Sztainberg H, Eilam-Altstadter R, Zwang R, Gershoni N, McGlinn E, Heiser PW, Wills AM, Wirguin I, Rubin L, Misawa H, Tabin CJ, Brown R, Chen A, Hornstein E.
miRNA malfunction causes spinal motor neuron disease. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 107:13111-13116. [151]

Kuperman Y, Issler O, Regev L, Musseri I, Navon I, Neufeld-Cohen A, Gil S, Chen A.
Perifornical Urocortin-3 mediates the link between stress-induced anxiety and energy homeostasis. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 107:8393-8398. [36]

Neufeld-Cohen A, Evans A, Getselter G, Spyroglou A, Hill A, Gil S, Beuschlein F, Lowry C, Vale W, Chen A.
Urocortin1 and 2 double-deficient mice show robust anxiolytic phenotype and modified serotonergic activity in anxiety circuits. Mol. Psychiatry 15:426-441. [44]

Regev L, Ezrielev E, Gershon E, Gil S, Chen A.
Genetic approach for intracerebroventricular delivery. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 107:4424-4429. [22]

Sztainberg Y, Kuperman Y, Tsoory M, Lebow M, Chen A.
The anxiolytic effect of environmental enrichment is mediated via amygdalar CRF receptor type 1. Mol. Psychiatry 15:905-917. [89]