Mice over-expressing BDNF in forebrain neurons develop an altered behavioral phenotype with age

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Genetics
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Abnormal brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) activity is implicated in the pathogenesis of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).
• Investigating the behavioral consequences of altered BDNF levels is crucial for understanding neurodevelopmental disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if forebrain-specific BDNF overexpression in mice leads to autism spectrum disorder (ASD)-like behaviors.
• To characterize the behavioral phenotype of BDNF transgenic mice, particularly in relation to age and seizure development.

Main Methods:

• Behavioral testing of BDNF transgenic (BDNF-tg) mice and wildtype (WT) littermates.
• Assessment of sociability, obsessive-compulsive-like behavior, anxiety-like behavior, and depressive-like behavior.
• Monitoring for spontaneous seizures and age-related behavioral changes.

Main Results:

• Older BDNF-tg mice (past 5 months) developed spontaneous seizures, unlike WT mice or younger BDNF-tg mice.
• BDNF-tg mice exhibited reduced obsessive-compulsive-like, anxiety-like, and depressive-like behaviors compared to WT mice.
• Sociability was comparable between BDNF-tg and WT mice.
• Observed behavioral changes in older mice may be linked to seizure development.

Conclusions:

• BDNF transgenic mice do not exhibit an ASD phenotype.
• The observed age-dependent seizures and behavioral alterations suggest these mice may serve as a valuable model for studying adult-onset epilepsy.
• Further research is needed to elucidate the precise role of BDNF in seizure development and its downstream behavioral effects.