Enhanced fear expression in Spir-1 actin organizer mutant mice.
Eur J Cell Biol
; 93(5-6): 225-37, 2014.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-24345451
ABSTRACT
Spir proteins nucleate actin filaments at vesicle membranes and facilitate intracellular transport processes. The mammalian genome encodes two Spir proteins, namely Spir-1 and Spir-2. While the mouse spir-2 gene has a rather broad expression pattern, high levels of spir-1 expression are restricted to the nervous system, oocytes, and testis. Spir-1 mutant mice generated by a gene trap method have been employed to address Spir-1 function during mouse development and in adult mouse tissues, with a specific emphasis on viability, reproduction, and the nervous system. The gene trap cassette disrupts Spir-1 expression between the N-terminal KIND domain and the WH2 domain cluster. Spir-1 mutant mice are viable and were born in a Mendelian ratio. In accordance with the redundant function of Spir-1 and Spir-2 in oocyte maturation, spir-1 mutant mice are fertile. The overall brain anatomy of spir-1 mutant mice is not altered and visual and motor functions of the mice remain normal. Microscopic analysis shows a slight reduction in the number of dendritic spines on cortical neurons. Detailed behavioral studies of the spir-1 mutant mice, however, unveiled a very specific and highly significant phenotype in terms of fear learning in male mice. In contextual and cued fear conditioning experiments the male spir-1 mutant mice display increased fear memory when compared to their control littermates. Our data point toward a particular function of the vesicle associated Spir-1 actin organizer in neuronal circuits determining fear behavior.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Actinas
/
Miedo
/
Proteínas de Microfilamentos
/
Proteínas del Tejido Nervioso
Límite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Año:
2014
Tipo del documento:
Article