The present findings are the first to point to a role of Fkbp5/FKBP5 in the association between early life social interactions and alcohol consumption in both rodents and humans. The mesocorticolimbic, and not striatal, circuit was sensitive to the dual effects of maternal separation and alcohol mediated by Fkbp5 in rats. FKBP5 genotype modulated the association between parent-child relationship and alcohol misuse in young adults. Future studies should explore Fkbp5-related molecular mechanisms in dopaminergic projecting and receiving areas to advance understanding of the effect of ELS on vulnerability to addiction, causal relationships as well as the effects of drugs targeting FKBP5.
