Adult mice with reduced Nurr1 expression: an animal model for schizophrenia

The transcription factor Nurr1 (NR4A2) has been found to play a critical role in the development of midbrain dopaminergic neurons. Nurr1 heterozygous (+/-) male and female mice expressing 35-40% of normal levels of Nurr1 were generated and examined in animal models related to symptoms of schizophrenia. The Nurr1 (+/-) mice displayed hyperactivity in a novel environment, which persisted after administration of the dopamine-mimetic amphetamine and the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist phencyclidine. The Nurr1 (+/-) mice were deficient in the retention of emotional memory and showed an enhanced response to swim stress. In addition, Nurr1 (+/-) male mice displayed a reduced dopamine turnover in the striatum and an enhanced dopamine turnover in the prefrontal cortex, while female mice showed an opposite pattern. These results show that Nurr1 (+/-) mice display a pattern of behaviors indicative of potential relevance for symptoms of schizophrenia combined with a gender-specific abnormal dopamine transmission in the striatum and prefrontal cortex, respectively. This suggests that the Nurr1 mutant mouse may be a potential animal model for studies on some of the behavioral and molecular mechanisms underlying schizophrenia.