The higher expression of Plagl1 [a zinc finger protein (Yang et al., 2005)] and Rdbp [a nuclear RNA-binding protein (Surowy et al., 1990)] are also consistent with increased transcription associated with neuronal activity, with Plag1 gene expression increased in the accumbens of iP rats operantly self-administering ethanol (Rodd et al., 2008). Moreover, the higher expression (Table 1) of several members of the oncogene family (Rab1, Rab3c, Rab21, Rab35) and RNA binding motif proteins (Rbm3, Rbm13, Rbm17) are also consistent with an interpretation of increased transcription activity. Figure 3 shows a network of genes involved in calcium signaling, oxidative stress response, and transcription. In the calcium-signaling network, there were 4 genes (Acta1, Ep300, Hdac5, Tpm3), and, in the oxidative stress network, there were 4 genes (Acta1, Bex1, Ep300, Pik3c3) that were up regulated in the CA group. In the transcription network, there were 12 genes that were different between the CA and W groups with 10 genes higher (Cbx3, Dr1, Ep300, Hdac2, Hdac5, Mbd1, Med4, Rbbp6, Rnf2, Tceb3) and only 2 genes lower (Irf3, Mxi1) in the CA group; these results are consistent with the findings for the oncogenes (Fig. 2) and also support an interpretation of increased transcription.
