Autophosphorylation of αCaMKII affects social interactions in mice

The α‐Ca²⁺/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase II (αCaMKII), a key regulator of the glutamatergic synapse, has been implicated in many psychiatric disorders characterized by social impairments. Here we tested whether autophosphorylation of αCaMKII at threonine 286, which prolongs the activity of the enzyme, affects social behaviors in mice. We observed that autophosphorylation‐deficient (αCaMKII‐T286A) mutant female mice showed abnormal social behaviors characterized by decreased social preference and interest in conspecifics of the same sex, as compared to their wild‐type littermates. Moreover, we developed a mathematical approach to analyze social interactions in group‐housed mice in the automated IntelliCages. Using this approach we observed that αCaMKII‐T286A mutants show decreased levels of social interactions in a social group, as compared with WT mice. WT mice increased the frequency of close social interactions when learning about the location of the food reward. This phenomenon was absent in the mutants. Overall, our data indicates that autophosphorylation of αCaMKII affects social interactions.