Behavioral alterations in mice deficient for the extracellular matrix glycoprotein tenascin-R

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Animal Behavior
• Extracellular Matrix Biology

Background:

• Tenascin-R (TN-R) is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein implicated in neural development and plasticity.
• The precise behavioral consequences of TN-R deficiency remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the behavioral phenotype of mice lacking tenascin-R (TN-R) compared to wild-type (WT) littermates.
• To assess the impact of TN-R deficiency on exploration, anxiety, motor coordination, and cognition across different ages and housing conditions.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal behavioral testing of tenascin-R (TN-R) deficient mice and wild-type (WT) littermates.
• Utilized tests including the free choice open field (FCOF), open field (OF), elevated plus maze (EPM), wire hanging, Rotarod, and pole test.
• Evaluated behavior in mice aged 3 weeks to 11 months under varied housing conditions.

Main Results:

• Tenascin-R (TN-R) deficient mice displayed reduced exploratory drive and heightened anxiety in multiple tests (FCOF, OF, EPM).
• Environmental factors more significantly influenced the anxiety levels of TN-R deficient mice compared to WT controls.
• Impaired motor coordination was observed in TN-R deficient mice across several motor tasks (wire hanging, Rotarod, pole test).

Conclusions:

• Ablation of tenascin-R (TN-R) results in a distinct and altered behavioral phenotype in mice.
• The observed behavioral deficits, including increased anxiety and motor impairments, may negatively impact the fitness of TN-R deficient mice in natural environments.