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Sociability and brain development in BALB/cJ and C57BL/6J mice
Andrew H Fairless1, Holly C Dow, Arati Sadalge Kreibich
1Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31st Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA.
Behavioural Brain Research
|December 20, 2011
Summary
Sociability develops differently in BALB/cJ and C57BL/6J mice, with BALB/cJ showing increased social interaction with age. Smaller brain size correlated with lower sociability in BALB/cJ mice.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Behavioral Genetics
Background:
- Sociability, crucial for social cognition, is impaired in autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
- BALB/cJ and C57BL/6J mouse strains model low and high juvenile sociability, but underlying factors are unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related changes in sociability in BALB/cJ and C57BL/6J mice.
- To explore the influence of litter effects and perinatal factors on sociability.
- To examine the relationship between sociability, brain size, and corpus callosum area.
Main Methods:
- Sociability testing across multiple ages (19-70 days) in C57BL/6J and BALB/cJ mice.
- Measurement of brain weight and mid-sagittal corpus callosum area.
- Analysis of litter effects, litter size, and sex ratio on sociability.
Main Results:
- BALB/cJ sociability increased with age, with a significant strain-by-age interaction around puberty.
- Sociability clustered by litter, influenced by perinatal factors in C57BL/6J mice.
- No corpus callosum association; smaller brains correlated with lower sociability in BALB/cJ mice.
Conclusions:
- Sociability development is strain- and age-dependent, with puberty playing a key role.
- Litter effects and perinatal environment influence sociability, particularly in C57BL/6J mice.
- Brain size, not corpus callosum size, is associated with sociability levels in BALB/cJ mice.
