To examine the relation between Fkbp5/FKBP5, early life social interactions and alcohol drinking, a translational approach studying rodents and humans was used. The expression of the Fkbp5 was assessed in the mesocorticolimbic and striatal areas of young adult outbred rats exposed to an experimental model of ELS and later to an episodic drinking paradigm. The present study for the first time provides mechanistic evidence of long-term effects of maternal separation and also different alcohol-induced effects depending on early life conditions, on Fkbp5 expression in dopaminergic key regions of the reward system in outbred male rats. Moreover, the interaction effect between FKBP5 rs1360780 genotype and parent-child relationship on problematic drinking was tested in a population-based sample of young male adults. The TT genotype, in interaction with poor parent-child relationship, was associated with problematic drinking. These findings expand our knowledge on the relations between alcohol drinking, early life social interactions, and Fkbp5 expression in rodents as well as FKBP5 genotype in humans.
