A glucocorticoid-responsive polygenic signature in the anterior cingulate cortex moderates the association of early-life adversity and vulnerability for depression

Abstract

Stress exposure is a major risk factor for psychopathology, yet how stress mediators shape long-term psychiatric vulnerability in humans remains unclear. Glucocorticoids, central effectors of the stress response, regulate gene expression through tissue-specific transcriptional programs, suggesting that glucocorticoid-responsive networks may shape sensitivity to adversity. Using RNA-sequencing following chronic glucocorticoid exposure in a non-human primate model, we identified a gene co-expression network specific to the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) that was highly preserved across human post-mortem brain datasets relevant to depression. We derived an expression-based polygenic score (ePGS) reflecting genetic variation in network activity and tested its interaction with adversity in the UK Biobank. The ACC-specific glucocorticoid-responsive ePGS moderated the association between adversity and depressive symptoms in adult females, with the strongest effects for early-life adversity. Network genes were enriched for neurodevelopmental processes and showed stronger co-expression during childhood, highlighting a developmentally sensitive, region-specific mechanism linking stress exposure to depression risk.