What is the role of DeltaFosB transcription factor in addiction?

DeltaFosB is a truncated splice variant of the FosB protein that plays a central, crucial role in the development and maintenance of both drug and behavioral addictions. When overexpressed in the reward system, DeltaFosB triggers long-lasting neuroplastic changes and behavioral phenotypes characteristic of addictive states. It acts as a necessary common molecular factor across different forms of compulsive reward-seeking behavior.

What we know

• The DeltaFosB splice variant plays a central, crucial role in the development and maintenance of addiction. [2]
• Abnormally high accumulation of DeltaFosB in the reward system triggers addiction-related neuroplasticity and behavioral phenotypes. [2]
• DeltaFosB has been identified as a necessary common factor involved in both behavioral addictions and drug addictions. [4]
• DeltaFosB differs from full-length FosB and the further truncated Δ2ΔFosB variant, as only accumbal DeltaFosB overexpression is associated with pathological responses. [2]

Where to go next

• compared withHow do behavioral addictions compare to substance addictions?
• how it workedWhat are the downstream neuroplastic adaptations driven by transcription factors in the reward system?
• the bigger pictureWhat role does the FOS gene family play in cell proliferation and transformation?
• a case in pointCan compulsive sexual behavior be classified as a behavioral addiction?
• what caused itWhat genetic and environmental risk factors contribute to substance use disorders?
• an unexpected connectionHow do natural rewards and chemical drugs trigger the exact same molecular factor?Both chemical substances and non-substance rewarding activities like gambling or shopping activate identical neural adaptation pathways through the accumulation of DeltaFosB.

Sources

• [1]FOSB (Wikidata Q17929096) · CC0 1.0
• [2]FOSB · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Sexual addiction · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Behavioral addiction · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Addiction · CC BY-SA 4.0