Exposure to early-life stress uncovers shared biological signatures underlying vulnerability in the habenula and insular cortex of male and female adult rats

Abstract

Early-life stress (ELS) is a well-known risk factor for the development of several mental disorders later in life. The effect of ELS can be twofold: resilient individuals adapt by perceiving stress as minimal, while vulnerable ones struggle to cope with it and are predisposed to the onset of psychopathology. Although it is known that different brain regions play a role in determining ELS resilience or vulnerability, the specific mechanisms remain unclear. This preclinical study examines the effects of prenatal stress (PNS) on the functional connectivity of habenula (Hb) and insular cortex (IC) and whether these alterations predispose to stress vulnerability in adulthood. PNS was associated with reduced social interaction in both male and female animals, suggesting the onset of a potentially altered behavioural phenotype. Transcriptomic analysis of vulnerable and resilient animals revealed profound PNS-induced gene expression changes in both Hb and IC, with sex-specific patterns. In vulnerable males, pathway analysis identified a shared molecular signature between Hb and IC primarily involving the activation of inflammation and collagen-related processes. In females, vulnerability was linked to downregulation of serotonin signaling, indicating an alternative pathway to stress susceptibility compared with males. Co-expression network analysis confirmed these findings, highlighting sex-dependent biological mechanisms underlying vulnerability. These results suggest that vulnerability to stress may emerge from functional interactions between Hb and IC, mediated by distinct and sex-specific pathways.