brain regions thought to underlie the neurobiology of PTSD. These findings largely support existing mechanistic hypotheses, and it will be important to examine how these genes and pathways function in already identified stress-related neural circuits and biological systems. Furthermore, while some of the prioritized genes are largely within pathways currently indicated in PTSD, many of the specific genes and encoded proteins were not previously established and warrant further investigation. Additionally, many genes and noncoding RNAs were not previously identified in any psychiatric or stress-related disorder, and offer an important road map for determining next steps in understanding new mechanisms of vulnerability for posttraumatic psychopathology. Future mechanistic research in preclinical models should examine whether targeting combinations of these genes, for example via polygenic targeting, epigenetic, or knockdown approaches, would have increased power in regulating stress, fear, cognitive dysfunction or other symptoms and behaviors seen in PTSD.
