Post-weaning social isolation increases ?FosB/FosB protein expression in sex-specific patterns in the prelimbic/infralimbic cortex and hippocampus in mice

• Post-weaning/adolescent social isolation increased ?FosB in the cortex and hippocampus of adult mice. FosB was also isolated females. Short-term stress has persistent effects on brain that depend sex. Social is a growing public health concern across lifespan. Specifically, early life, during critical periods development, increases risk psychiatric disorders later life. Previous studies models mice have shown distinct neurological abnormalities various regions brain, but mechanism linking experience to these phenotypes unclear. In this study, we show ?FosB, long-lived transcription factor associated with neuronal activity, chronic stress, drug-induced neuroplasticity, upregulated prelimbic/infralimbic (PL/IL) region C57BL/6J transiently for two weeks post-weaning. Additionally, related factor, FosB, PL/IL socially females.In contrast, both are male six from weaning until tissue collection. These results short-term post-weaning period long-lasting sex-dependent gene expression FosB/?FosB provides potential mechanistic link between abnormalities.