A sex difference in the response of the rodent postsynaptic density to synGAP haploinsufficiency.

SynGAP is a postsynaptic density (PSD) protein that binds to PDZ domains of the scaffold protein PSD-95. We previously reported that heterozygous deletion of Syngap1 in mice is correlated with increased steady-state levels of other key PSD proteins that bind PSD-95, although the level of PSD-95 remains constant (Walkup et al., 2016). For example, the ratio to PSD-95 of Transmembrane AMPA-Receptor-associated Proteins (TARPs), which mediate binding of AMPA-type glutamate receptors to PSD-95, was increased in young Syngap1+/-mice. Here we show that only females and not males show a highly significant correlation between an increase in TARP and a decrease in synGAP in the PSDs of Syngap1+/-rodents. The data reveal a sex difference in the adaptation of the PSD scaffold to synGAP haploinsufficiency.

R-Baclofen Reverses Cognitive Deficits and Improves Social Interactions in Two Lines of 16p11.2 Deletion Mice.

Human chromosome 16p11.2 microdeletion is among the most common gene copy number variations (CNVs) known to confer risk for intellectual disability (ID) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and affects an estimated 3 in 10 000 people. Caused by a single copy deletion of ~27 genes, 16p11.2 microdeletion syndrome is characterized by ID, impaired language, communication and socialization skills, and ASD. Studies in animal models where a single copy of the syntenic 16p11.2 region has been deleted have revealed morphological, behavioral, and electrophysiological abnormalities. Previous studies suggested the possibility of some overlap in the mechanisms of pathophysiology in 16p11.2 microdeletion syndrome and fragile X syndrome. Improvements in fragile X phenotypes have been observed following chronic treatment with R-baclofen, a selective agonist of GABAB receptors. We were therefore motivated to investigate the effects of chronic oral R-baclofen administration in two independently generated mouse models of 16p11.2 microdeletion syndrome. In studies performed across two independent laboratories, we found that chronic activation of GABAB receptors improved performance on a series of cognitive and social tasks known to be impaired in two different 16p11.2 deletion mouse models. Our findings suggest that R-baclofen may have clinical utility for some of the core symptoms of human 16p11.2 microdeletion syndrome.

ß-Arrestin2 Couples Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 5 to Neuronal Protein Synthesis and Is a Potential Target to Treat Fragile X.

Synaptic protein synthesis is essential for modification of the brain by experience and is aberrant in several genetically defined disorders, notably fragile X (FX), a heritable cause of autism and intellectual disability. Neural activity directs local protein synthesis via activation of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGlu5), yet how mGlu5 couples to the intracellular signaling pathways that regulate mRNA translation is poorly understood. Here, we provide evidence that ß-arrestin2 mediates mGlu5-stimulated protein synthesis in the hippocampus and show that genetic reduction of ß-arrestin2 corrects aberrant synaptic plasticity and cognition in the Fmr1-/y mouse model of FX. Importantly, reducing ß-arrestin2 does not induce psychotomimetic activity associated with full mGlu5 inhibitors and does not affect Gq signaling. Thus, in addition to identifying a key requirement for mGlu5-stimulated protein synthesis, these data suggest that ß-arrestin2-biased negative modulators of mGlu5 offer significant advantages over first-generation inhibitors for the treatment of FX and related disorders.