Loss of striatal bradykinin B2 receptor alters anxiety and motivational behaviors in male mice

Tavares, Mariana Rosolen; Araujo, Ronaldo Carvalho; Martins, Marina Galleazzo; Donato Jr, Jose; Bader, Michael; Wasinski, Frederick

Loss of striatal bradykinin B2 receptor alters anxiety and motivational behaviors in male mice

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Item Type:	Article
Title:	Loss of striatal bradykinin B2 receptor alters anxiety and motivational behaviors in male mice
Creators Name:	Tavares, Mariana Rosolen, Araujo, Ronaldo Carvalho, Martins, Marina Galleazzo, Donato Jr, Jose, Bader, Michael and Wasinski, Frederick
Abstract:	The kallikrein–kinin system (KKS) has been extensively studied in peripheral tissues, but its role in the central nervous system (CNS) remains poorly understood. The bradykinin B2 receptor (B2R) is constitutively expressed in the brain, where it may modulate neuronal differentiation, neuroplasticity, and behavioral aspects. Here, we investigated the functional role of striatal B2R by conditionally deleting the Bdkrb2 gene in the dorsal striatum of adult male mice (Bdkrb2(flox/flox)) using bilateral stereotaxic injections of an AAV8 that induces Cre and tdTomato expression. Mice lacking B2R in the dorsal striatum displayed several context-dependent behavioral alterations, such as reduced anxiety-like behavior and decreased sucrose preference. Moreover, these animals showed enhanced voluntary wheel running, suggesting alterations in motivation-related behavioral output. Immunofluorescence analysis revealed that among dTomato-positive neurons, approximately 17% co-expressed DARPP-32, indicating that a subset of the transduced cells corresponds to dopaminoceptive medium spiny neurons. Together, these findings show that dorsal striatal B2R deletion alters anxiety-related and motivational/hedonic behaviors in male mice and suggest that these effects may involve striatal neuronal populations, including a subset of dopaminoceptive neurons.
Keywords:	Bradykinin B2 Receptor, Dorsal Striatum, Locomotor Activity, Medium Spiny Neurons, Reward-Related Behavior, Animals, Mice
Source:	FASEB Journal
ISSN:	0892-6638
Publisher:	Wiley / Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
Volume:	40
Number:	10
Page Range:	e71950
Date:	31 May 2026
Official Publication:	https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.202601142rr
PubMed:	View item in PubMed

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