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Autism-related behavioral abnormalities in synapsin knockout mice.

Barbara Greco1, Francesca Managò, Valter Tucci

  • 1Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy.

Behavioural Brain Research
|January 3, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Synapsins (Syns) are crucial for social behavior. Deleting Syn genes in mice leads to autism spectrum disorder (ASD)-related social and repetitive behaviors, suggesting Syns

Keywords:
Autism spectrum disorderEpilepsySocial behaviorSynaptic vesiclesSynaptopathies

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Genetics
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Synaptic genes, including SYN1 and SYN2, are linked to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and epilepsy.
  • Synapsins (Syn I, II, III) are phosphoproteins vital for synaptic function, development, and plasticity.
  • Previous studies show Syn I/II deficiency causes epilepsy and cognitive issues in mice, while Syn II/III deficiency is linked to schizophrenia-like traits.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of Synapsin isoforms (Syn I, II, III) in social behaviors and repetitive behaviors relevant to ASD.
  • To evaluate social interaction, recognition, dominance, and memory in Syn knockout mice.
  • To determine if social impairments in Syn knockout mice manifest before or after seizure onset.

Main Methods:

  • Behavioral analysis of male SynI(-/-), SynII(-/-), and SynIII(-/-) mice compared to control groups.
  • Assessment of social interaction, novelty, recognition, dominance, food preference transmission, and memory.
  • Evaluation of behaviors before and after the onset of epilepsy.

Main Results:

  • Deletion of Syn isoforms broadly impairs social and repetitive behaviors, mimicking ASD phenotypes.
  • SynI or SynIII deletion affected social behavior; SynII deletion significantly impaired social behavior, memory, and exploration, and increased self-grooming.
  • Social deficits in SynI(-/-) and SynII(-/-) mice were observed even before seizure development.

Conclusions:

  • Synapsins play a significant role in the generation of behavioral traits associated with ASD.
  • Syn knockout mice serve as a valuable experimental model for studying ASD and epilepsy.
  • Syn isoforms are critical regulators of social behavior and cognitive functions relevant to neurodevelopmental disorders.