Neuronal miR-17-5p contributes to interhemispheric cortical connectivity defects induced by prenatal alcohol exposure

Structural and functional deficits in brain connectivity are reported in patients with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs), but whether and how prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) affects axonal development of neurons and disrupts wiring between brain regions is unknown. Here, we develop a mouse model of moderate alcohol exposure during prenatal brain wiring to study the effects of PAE on corpus callosum (CC) development. PAE induces aberrant navigation of interhemispheric CC axons that persists even after exposure ends, leading to ectopic termination in the contralateral cortex. The neuronal miR-17-5p and its target ephrin type A receptor 4 (EphA4) mediate the effect of alcohol on the contralateral targeting of CC axons. Thus, altered microRNA-mediated regulation of axonal guidance may have implications for interhemispheric cortical connectivity and associated behaviors in FASD.