The impact of genetic background and Bid on the phenotype of Bcl-2-deficiency in mice

How a central apoptosis mechanism could be modulated during a specific developmental or homeostatic process to comply with the specific needs of a particular tissue is poorly understood. Bcl-2 is a key anti-apoptosis regulator and its deletion resulted in multiple defects in mice, indicating its broad involvement in development and homeostasis of various tissues. We found that the severity and extensiveness of the defects could be greatly influenced by the genetic background of the mice. Hence, Bcl-2-deficient mice predominantly on C57BL/6 background had the most severe presentation with increased embryonic lethality, whereas Bcl-2-deficient mice predominantly on 129/SvJ background had a significantly minor phenotype. In particular, the 129/SvJ background could almost completely rescue the polycystic kidney disease phenotype of the Bcl-2 deficiency, resulting in normal renal functions. These observations would be consistent with the assumption that the C57BL/6 background is more pro-death while the 129/SvJ background is more pro-survival. Concurrent deletion of Bid, a BH3-only molecule, in either genetic background, could significantly increase the birth rate of the Bcl-2 deficient progenies and lessen lymphocytopenia, although the double knockout mice still developed the polycystic kidney diseases. Overall, our work indicates that the phenotype of Bcl-2 deficiency can be affected by multiple genetic elements, resulting in tissue-specific modulations of the cell death program during development and cellular homeostasis.     

Decreased hippocampal brain‐derived neurotrophic factor and impaired cognitive function by hypoglossal nerve transection in rats

The hypoglossal nerve controls tongue movements, and damages of it result in difficulty in mastication and food intake. Mastication has been reported to maintain hippocampus‐dependent cognitive function. This study was conducted to examine the effect of tongue motor loss on the hippocampus‐dependent cognitive function and its underlying mechanism. Male Sprague Dawley rats were subjected to the initial training of Morris water maze task before or after the bilateral transection of hypoglossal nerves (Hx). When the initial training was given before the surgery, the target quadrant dwelling time during the probe test performed at a week after the surgery was significantly reduced in Hx rats relative to sham‐operated controls. When the initial training was given after the surgery, Hx affected the initial and reversal trainings and probe tests. Brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression, cell numbers and long‐term potentiation (LTP) were examined in the hippocampus on the 10^th day, and BrdU and doublecortin staining on the 14^th day, after the surgery. Hx decreased the hippocampal BDNF and cells in the CA1/CA3 regions and impaired LTP. BrdU and doublecortin staining was decreased in the dentate gyrus of Hx rats. Results suggest that tongue motor loss impairs hippocampus‐dependent cognitive function, and decreased BDNF expression in the hippocampus may be implicated in its underlying molecular mechanism in relation with decreased neurogenesis/proliferation and impaired LTP.     

海马——探索认知功能细胞分子机制的重要模型

哺乳动物脑中的海马结构被发现已经有几个世纪了,而初步确定其功能却是近几十年神经科学领域的重大发现．目前普遍认为海马是与记忆密切相关的,并把海马作为揭示学习记忆等认知过程细胞分子基础的重要模型．就近年在《生物化学与生物物理进展》上发表的相关文章进行了评论．     

硫氢化钠对脊髓小脑共济失调3型小鼠海马MBP及学习记忆的影响

目的: 探讨硫氢化钠(NaHS)对脊髓小脑共济失调3型(SCA3)小鼠海马神经元髓鞘碱性蛋白(MBP)及学习记忆的影响及其治疗意义。方法: 随机挑选12只雄性正常野生型小鼠(WT)作为正常对照组(NC Group),然后将48只SCA3小鼠随机分为SCA3模型组(M Group)、低剂量小鼠组(NL Group,10 μmol/kg)、中剂量小鼠组(NM Group,50 μmol/kg)和高剂量小鼠组(NH Group,100 μmol/kg),每组12只,用药组每日腹腔注射一次,连续4周。通过Morris水迷宫比较不同剂量NaHS干预前后SCA3小鼠学习记忆能力的变化,分光光度法测定海马内硫化氢(H₂S)含量,免疫组化技术检测髓鞘碱性蛋白(MBP)的表达差异,并借助电镜观察各组小鼠神经元髓鞘形态学变化。 结果:与对照组小鼠比较,SCA3小鼠的学习记忆能力显著下降(P＜0.05),海马内H₂S含量降低(P＜0.05),有髓神经纤维MBP表达量也降低(P＜0.05),经过不同剂量的外源性NaHS治疗后,学习记忆能力有不同程度改善(P＜0.05);且SCA3小鼠海马H₂S和MBP含量也有不同程度提高(P＜0.05)。结论: 外源性NaHS可能通过提高SCA3小鼠大脑海马的H₂S含量和MBP含量增加,对神经元细胞产生一定的保护作用,进而提高SCA3小鼠的学习记忆能力,为寻求SCA3的治疗提供新的思路,同时为临床SCA3患者的营养支持及治疗提供方向。     

Male and female Fmr1 knockout mice on C57 albino background exhibit spatial learning and memory impairments

Impaired spatial learning is a prominent deficit in fragile X syndrome (FXS). Previous studies using the Fmr1 knockout (KO) mouse model of FXS have not consistently reported a deficit in spatial learning. Fmr1 KO mice bred onto an albino C57BL/6J‐Tyr^c‐Brd background showed significant deficits in several primary measures of performance during place navigation and probe trials in the Morris water maze. Fmr1 KO mice were also impaired during a serial reversal version of the water maze task. We examined fear conditioning as an additional cognitive screen. Knockout mice exhibited contextual memory deficits when trained with unsignaled shocks; however, deficits were not found in a separate group of KO mice trained with signaled shocks. No potentially confounding genotypic differences in locomotor activity were observed. A decreased anxiety‐like profile was apparent in the open field, as others have noted, and also in the platform test. Also as previously reported, startle reactivity to loud auditory stimuli was decreased, prepulse inhibition and social interaction increased in KO mice. Female Fmr1 KO mice were tested along with male KO mice in all assays, except for social interaction. The female and male KO exhibited very similar impairments indicating that sex does not generally drive the behavioral symptoms of the disorder. Our results suggest that procedural factors, such as the use of albino mice, may help to reliably detect spatial learning and memory impairments in both sexes of Fmr1 KO mice, making it more useful for understanding FXS and a platform for evaluating potential therapeutics.     

Impaired long-term memory and long-term potentiation in N-type Ca2+ channel-deficient mice

Voltage-dependent N-type Ca(2+) channels, along with the P/Q-type, have a crucial role in controlling the release of neurotransmitters or neuromodulators at presynaptic terminals. However, their role in hippocampus-dependent learning and memory has never been examined. Here, we investigated hippocampus-dependent learning and memory and synaptic plasticity at hippocampal CA3-CA1 synapses in mice deficient for the alpha(1B) subunit of N-type Ca(2+) channels. The mutant mice exhibited impaired learning and memory in the Morris water maze and the social transmission of food preference tasks. In particular, long-term memory was impaired in the mutant mice. Interestingly, among activity-dependent long-lasting synaptic changes, theta burst- or 200-Hz-stimulation-induced long-term potentiation (LTP) was decreased in the mutant, compared with the wild-type mice. This type of LTP is known to require brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). It was found that both BDNF-induced potentiation of field excitatory postsynaptic potentials and facilitation of the frequency of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs) were reduced in the mutant. Taken together, these results demonstrate that N-type Ca(2+) channels are required for hippocampus-dependent learning and memory, and certain forms of LTP.     

Severe cognitive and motor coordination deficits in tenascin-R-deficient mice

The extracellular matrix molecule tenascin-R (TN-R), predominantly expressed in the central nervous system, has been implied in a variety of functions, e.g. during myelination, cerebellar neurite fasciculation and hippocampal long-term potentiation. In this study, we investigated in detail the impact of TN-R deficiency on the living animal by analyzing the behavior of TN-R-deficient mice. The general state, gross sensory functions, reflexes and motoric capabilities appeared normal. In contrast, motor coordination on the rota-rod was compromised in these mice, indicating a deficit in cerebellar functions. In the open field and the hole board, the mutants interact differently with their environment, probably due to differences in their exploratory behavior. TN-R-deficient mice were able to learn a reference memory task in the Morris water maze. In contrast to wild-type mice, the mutants displayed an alternative strategy; swimming around the pool using a stereotypical circling pattern, crossing all possible platform positions after relocation of the escape platform (reversal). These results, confirmed by relocating the platform in the center of the pool, suggest that TN-R-deficient mice may be impaired in constructing a goal-independent representation of space. In addition, a two-way active avoidance test (shuttle box) revealed a severe deficit in associative learning in TN-R-deficient mice. Our results support important functions of TN-R in vivo in the central nervous system, in particular in the cerebellum and the hippocampus.     

急性低压低氧对大鼠空间学习记忆的影响及与海马内孤啡肽的关系

目的:研究暴露在不同海拔高度的急性低压低氧环境中,大鼠空间学习记忆能力的变化及与海马内孤啡肽的关系.方法:采用低压舱模拟4 500 m(中度)和7 500 m(重度)两种海拨高度,Morris水迷宫训练方法和反转录多聚酶链式反应(RT-PCR)技术.结果:①海马内孤啡肽mRNA表达在急性重度低压低氧(8 h/d,连续6 d)后明显增加,然而在Morris 水迷宫训练(6 counts/d,连续6 d,定位航行潜伏期逐渐缩短)后则显著降低.②急性低压低氧后,定位航行潜伏期明显延长,而海马内孤啡肽mRNA表达较学习记忆训练组明显升高.结论:海马内孤啡肽参与急性低压低氧降低大鼠空间学习记忆的机制.     

Optimization of the touchscreen paired-associate learning (PAL) task for mice and its dorsal hippocampal dependency

Two versions of the touchscreen paired-associate learning (PAL) task have been developed for rodents: same PAL (sPAL) and different PAL (dPAL). These tasks are very important in studying murine models of Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia, and have also been used to test object-location memory in various studies. However, the relatively long time needed for the tasks (approx. 50 days for mice) limits their widespread use. By giving training that was more intensive with a higher number of trials, we shortened the time required for learning saturation in sPAL and dPAL to about one-third of the time required for the generally used protocol. Furthermore, by applying a reduced number of objects and trial types for sPAL, we developed a simplified version of sPAL, termed 2-object sPAL, in which mice could reach the fully learned level in 6 days. Our pharmacological experiments indicate that the dorsal hippocampal CA1 region is crucial for the performance of the two PAL tasks with the new protocols and the new 2-object sPAL. This work has significantly enhanced the usefulness of the touchscreen PAL tasks to increase the speed of learning, but they remain highly hippocampus-dependent object-location memory tasks.     

Handling and environmental enrichment do not rescue learning and memory impairments in alphaCamKII(T286A) mutant mice

Environmental enrichment and postnatal handling have been shown to improve learning and memory in the Morris water maze, and to rescue impairments caused by genetic modification, age or genetic background. Mice with a targeted point mutation that prevents autophosphorylation at threonine-286 of the α-isoform of the Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent kinase II have impaired hippocampus-dependent and -independent strategy learning and memory in the water maze. We have investigated whether these impairments can be rescued with a combination of postnatal handling and environmental enrichment in a hybrid genetic background. Severe impairments were seen in acquisition and probe trials in both enriched and nonenriched mutants, indicating that enrichment did not rescue the learning and memory impairments. However, enrichment did rescue a specific performance deficit; enhanced floating behaviour, in the mutants. In summary, we have shown the lack of autophosphorylation of the α-isoform of the Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent kinase II prevents enrichment-induced rescues of strategy learning and memory impairments. Furthermore, we have established that there are enrichment mechanisms that are independent of this autophosphorylation.     

Neurobehavioral abnormalities in the dysbindin‐1 mutant,sandy, on a C57BL/6J genetic background

Sandy mice have a deletion mutation in the gene encoding dysbindin‐1, Dtnbp1, with consequent reduction of the protein in heterozygotes and its loss in homozygotes. The sandy mouse thus serves as an animal model of dysbindin‐1 function. As this protein is concentrated in synaptic tissue and affects transmitter release, it may affect neuronal processes that mediate behavior. To investigate the neurobehavioral effects of the Dtnbp1 mutation, we studied littermate sandy and wild‐type controls on a C57BL/6J genetic background. The three animal groups were indistinguishable in their external physical characteristics, sensorimotor skills and indices of anxiety‐like behaviors. In the open field, however, homozygous animals were hyperactive and appeared to show less habituation to the initially novel environment. In the Morris water maze, homozygous animals displayed clear deficits in spatial learning and memory with marginal deficits in visual association learning. Apart from the last mentioned deficits, these abnormalities are consistent with hippocampal dysfunction and in some cases with elevated dopaminergic transmission via D2 dopamine receptors. As similar deficits in spatial learning and memory have been found in schizophrenia, where decreased dysbindin‐1 has been found in the hippocampus, the sandy mouse may also model certain aspects of cognition and behavior relevant to schizophrenia.     

Over‐expressed MST1 impaired spatial memory via disturbing neural oscillation patterns in mice

The activated mammalian Ste20‐like serine/threonine kinases 1 (MST1) was found in the central nervous system diseases, such as cerebral ischemia, stroke and ALS, which were related with cognitions. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of elevated MST1 on memory functions in C57BL/6J mice. We also explored the underlying mechanism about the pattern alteration of neural oscillations, closely associated with cognitive dysfunctions, at different physiological rhythms, which were related to a wide range of basic and higher‐level cognitive activities. A mouse model of the adeno‐associated virus (AAV)‐mediated overexpression of MST1 was established. The behavioral experiments showed that spatial memory was significantly damaged in MST1 mice. The distribution of either theta or gamma power was clearly disturbed in MST1 animals. Moreover, the synchronization in both theta and gamma rhythms, and theta‐gamma cross‐frequency coupling were significantly weakened in MST1 mice. In addition, the expressions of GABAA receptor, GAD67 and parvalbumin (PV) were obviously increased in MST1 mice. Meanwhile, blocking MST1 activity could inhibit the activation of FOXO3a and YAP. The above data suggest that MST1‐overexpression may induce memory impairments via disturbing the patterns of neural activities, which is possibly associated with the abnormal GABAergic expression level.     

Participation of NMDA-mediated phosphorylation and oxidation of neurogranin in the regulation of Ca2+- and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent neuronal signaling in the hippocampus

Neurogranin/RC3 (Ng) is a postsynaptic protein kinase C (PKC) substrate and calmodulin (CaM)-binding protein whose CaM-binding affinity is modulated by Ca2+, phosphorylation and oxidation. Ng has been implicated in the modulation of postsynaptic signal transduction pathways and synaptic plasticity. Previously, we showed a severe deficit of spatial memory in Ng knockout (KO) mice. Activation of the NMDA receptor and its downstream signaling molecules are known to be involved in long-term memory formation. In the present study, using mouse hippocampal slices, we demonstrated that NMDA induced a rapid and transient phosphorylation and oxidation of Ng. NMDA also caused activation of PKC as evidenced by their phosphorylations, whereas, such activations were greatly reduced in the KO mice. A higher degree of phosphorylation of Ca2+/CaM-dependent kinase II and activation of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase were also evident in the WT compared to those of the KO mice. Phosphorylation of downstream targets, including mitogen-activated protein kinases and cAMP response element-binding protein, were significantly attenuated in the KO mice. These results suggest that by its Ca2+-sensitive CaM-binding feature, and through its phosphorylation and oxidation, Ng regulates the Ca2+- and Ca2+/CaM-dependent signaling pathways subsequent to the stimulation of NMDA receptor. These findings support the hypothesis that the derangement of hippocampal signal transduction cascades in Ng KO mice causes the deficits in synaptic plasticity, learning and memory that occur in these mice.     

Deficiency of aminopeptidase P1 causes behavioral hyperactivity,cognitive deficits,and hippocampal neurodegeneration

Metabolic diseases affect various organs including the brain. Accumulation or depletion of substrates frequently leads to brain injury and dysfunction. Deficiency of aminopeptidase P1, a cytosolic proline‐specific peptidase encoded by the Xpnpep1 gene, causes an inborn error of metabolism (IEM) characterized by peptiduria in humans. We previously reported that knockout of aminopeptidase P1 in mice causes neurodevelopmental disorders and peptiduria. However, little is known about the pathophysiological role of aminopeptidase P1 in the brain. Here, we show that loss of aminopeptidase P1 causes behavioral and neurological deficits in mice. Mice deficient in aminopeptidase P1 (Xpnpep1^?/?) display abnormally enhanced locomotor activities in both the home cage and open‐field box. The aminopeptidase P1 deficiency in mice also resulted in severe impairments in novel‐object recognition, the Morris water maze task, and contextual, but not cued, fear memory. These behavioral dysfunctions were accompanied by epileptiform electroencephalogram activity and neurodegeneration in the hippocampus. However, mice with a heterozygous mutation for aminopeptidase P1 (Xpnpep1^+/?) exhibited normal behaviors and brain structure. These results suggest that loss of aminopeptidase P1 leads to behavioral, cognitive and neurological deficits. This study may provide insight into new pathogenic mechanisms for brain dysfunction related to IEMs.     

A new-generation apparatus for studying memory-related performance in mice

1. We developed a new kind of food search test that can measure murine nocturnal memory without handling hard work for setting up.2. This apparatus has four food stations, but only one station had accessible food at any time. The one station with accessible food was changed at 4-h intervals.3. We compared the performance of transient forebrain global Ischemic mice, which are a hippocampal lesion model, with the performance of control C57BL/6J mice.4. The correct visit ratio, i.e., the ratio of the number of visits to the correct food station to the number of visits to all stations, gradually increased in the control mice, but did not change in the Ischemic mice.5. This new system was demonstrated to be an additional and useful tool for studying memory-related performance in mice.     

Abnormal anxiety-related behavior in serotonin transporter null mutant mice: the influence of genetic background

Serotonin transporter (5-HTT) null mutant mice provide a model system to study the role genetic variation in the 5-HTT plays in the regulation of emotion. Anxiety-like behaviors were assessed in 5-HTT null mutants with the mutation placed on either a B6 congenic or a 129S6 congenic background. Replicating previous findings, B6 congenic 5-HTT null mutants exhibited increased anxiety-like behavior and reduced exploratory locomotion on the light ↔ dark exploration and elevated plus-maze tests. In contrast, 129S6 congenic 5-HTT null mutant mice showed no phenotypic abnormalities on either test. 5-HTT null mutants on the 129S6 background showed reduced 5-HT_1A receptor binding (as measured by quantitative autoradiography) and reduced 5-HT_1A receptor function (as measured by 8-OH-DPAT-indcued hypothermia). These data confirm that the 5-HTT null mutation produced alterations in brain 5-HT function in mice on the 129S6 background, thereby discounting the possibility that the absence of an abnormal anxiety-like phenotype in these mice was due to a suppression of the mutation by 129 modifier genes. Anxiety-like behaviors in the light ↔ dark exploration and elevated plus-maze tests were significantly higher in 129S6 congenic +/+ mice as compared to B6 congenic +/+ mice. This suggests that high baseline anxiety-like behavior in the 129S6 strain might have precluded detection of the anxiety-like effects of the 5-HTT null mutation on this background. Present findings provide further evidence linking genetic variation in the 5-HTT to abnormalities in mood and anxiety. Furthermore, these data highlight the utility of conducting behavioral phenotyping of mutant mice on multiple genetic backgrounds.     

Stress early in life leads to cognitive impairments,reduced numbers of CA3 neurons and altered maternal behavior in adult female mice

The hippocampus is a crucial part of the limbic system involved both in cognitive processing and in the regulation of responses to stress. Adverse experiences early in life can disrupt hippocampal development and lead to impairment of the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal axis response to subsequent stressors. In our study, two types of early‐life stress were used: prolonged separation of pups from their mothers (for 3 hours/day, maternal separation, MS) and brief separation (for 15 minutes/day, handling, HD). In the first part of our study, we found that adult female mice (F0) who had experienced MS showed reduced locomotor activity and impairment of long‐term spatial and recognition memory. Analysis of various hippocampal regions showed that MS reduced the number of mature neurons in CA3 of females, which is perhaps a crucial hippocampal region for learning and memory; however, neurogenesis remained unchanged. In the second part, we measured maternal care in female mice with a history of early‐life stress (F0) as well as the behavior of their adult offspring (F1). Our results indicated that MS reduced the level of maternal care in adult females (F0) toward their own progeny and caused sex‐specific changes in the social behavior of adult offspring (F1). In contrast to MS, HD had no influence on female behavior or hippocampal plasticity. Overall, our results suggest that prolonged MS early in life affects the adult behavior of F0 female mice and hippocampal neuronal plasticity, whereas the mothers' previous experience has effects on the behavior of their F1 offspring through disturbances of mother‐infant interactions.     

The impact of extra-pair mating behavior on hybridization and genetic introgression

Hybridization and genetic introgression can be associated with secondary contact between closely related species. Previous models have examined the ecological and demographic conditions leading to hybridization and introgression, but few have examined the role of behavior. Alternative mating behaviors are common throughout the animal kingdom but have rarely been recognized as a potential mechanism for hybridization. We developed an individual-based genetic model to examine the hypothesis that extra-pair copulations (EPCs) can lead to hybridization and genetic introgression even when assortative mating preferences are intact. Our model showed that female choice, whether pre- or post-copulation, reinforced species boundaries and that hybrids were relatively uncommon when no EPCs occurred. However, when EPCs were introduced into the model, the proportion of hybrids in the population depended on the strength of female mate or sperm choice, the strength of male pursuit of EPCs, and habitat-induced effects on the species composition of the neighborhood. As predicted, male pursuit of EPCs caused extensive introgression, but female preference for conspecific paternity reinforced species differences. Inclusion of mitochondrial markers of species identity revealed significant effects of interspecific and intersexual behavior during EPCs on the direction of introgression. These results suggest that an alternative mating tactic may have major effects on the level of genetic homogenization and can cause local extinction of a species.     

Systems genetic analysis of hippocampal neuroanatomy and spatial learning in mice

Variation in hippocampal neuroanatomy correlates well with spatial learning ability in mice. Here, we have studied both hippocampal neuroanatomy and behavior in 53 isogenic BXD recombinant strains derived from C57BL/6J and DBA/2J parents. A combination of experimental, neuroinformatic and systems genetics methods was used to test the genetic bases of variation and covariation among traits. Data were collected on seven hippocampal subregions in CA3 and CA4 after testing spatial memory in an eight‐arm radial maze task. Quantitative trait loci were identified for hippocampal structure, including the areas of the intra‐ and infrapyramidal mossy fibers (IIPMFs), stratum radiatum and stratum pyramidale, and for a spatial learning parameter, error rate. We identified multiple loci and gene variants linked to either structural differences or behavior. Gpc4 and Tenm2 are strong candidate genes that may modulate IIPMF areas. Analysis of gene expression networks and trait correlations highlight several processes influencing morphometrical variation and spatial learning.