Neurobiology of Disease Overexpression of the Steroidogenic Enzyme Cytochrome P450 Side Chain Cleavage in the Ventral Tegmental Area Increases 3 ,5 -THP and Reduces Long-Term Operant Ethanol Self-Administration

Jason B. Cook,1,2 David F. Werner,1,6 Antoniette M. Maldonado-Devincci,1 Maggie N. Leonard,1 Kristen R. Fisher,1 Todd K. O’Buckley,1 Patrizia Porcu,1,7 Thomas J. McCown,3,5 Joyce Besheer,1,2,3 Clyde W. Hodge,1,2,3,4 and A. Leslie Morrow1,2,3,4 1Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, 2Curriculum in Neurobiology, 3Departments of Psychiatry and 4Pharmacology, and 5Gene Therapy Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, 6Department of Psychology, Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Binghamton University– State University of New York, Binghamton, New York 13902, and 7Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council of Italy, 09129 Cagliari, Italy