Down-regulation of dopamine transporter and abnormal behavior in STAT6-deficient mice

To determine the role of STAT6 transcription factors in brain function, we performed a battery of mouse behavioral analyses of STAT6-deficient mice and made comparisons with wild-type mice. STAT6-deficient mice were significantly more hyperactive in the final two blocks of an open field test, indicating abnormal habituation in completing the task. Two learning tasks, a water maze and a passive avoidance test, were mastered by STAT6-deficient mice as effectively as the wild-type. RT-PCR analysis suggested that the levels of dopamine transporter (DAT) mRNA may be lower in the midbrain of the mutant. In agreement with the finding, subsequent Western blotting and immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated lower levels of DAT protein in the mutant striatum. These results lead to the proposal that, in addition to being a pivotal transcription factor in the immune system, STAT6 may be crucially implicated in mouse behavior by modulating the expression of neuronal genes such as DAT.