Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Airton C. Martins, Caridad Lopez-Granero, Beatriz Ferrer, Alexey A. Tinkov, Anatoly V. Skalny, Monica M. B. Paoliello, Michael Aschner
Summary: BXD recombinant inbred (RI) lines serve as a genetic reference population, aiding in the study of genetic diversity and disease susceptibility. QTL mapping is a typical approach to identify naturally occurring polymorphisms that influence complex phenotypes.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shumpei P. Yasuda, Yuki Miyasaka, Xuehan Hou, Yo Obara, Hiroshi Shitara, Yuta Seki, Kunie Matsuoka, Ai Takahashi, Eri Wakai, Hiroshi Hibino, Toyoyuki Takada, Toshihiko Shiroishi, Ryo Kominami, Yoshiaki Kikkawa
Summary: A new MSM/Ms strain with resistance to various age-related phenotypes was established using Japanese wild mice. The strain showed delayed age-related hearing loss and two loci associated with hearing resistance were mapped.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Lang Huang, Jing Wang, Guanmei Liang, Yue Gao, Shi-Yang Jin, Jian Hu, Xiaoxue Yang, Jianpei Lao, Jinfa Chen, Zhou-Cai Luo, Cuixia Fan, Li Xiong, Xinhong Zhu, Tian -Ming Gao, Mei Zhong, Xinping Yang
Summary: Research on Htr3a knockout mice revealed autistic-like behaviors, impaired memory, and reduced susceptibility to seizures. The upregulation of NMDAR in PV+ interneurons plays a critical role in regulating GABAergic input and may be involved in the pathogenesis of autism associated with HTR3A deficiency. The NMDAR system could be a potential therapeutic target for autism.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Price E. Dickson, Guy Mittleman
Summary: Working memory and pattern separation are fundamental cognitive abilities that can greatly impact quality of life when impaired. This study used the TUNL assay to assess these abilities in mice and found that pattern separation was influenced by mouse strain, while working memory was not. The distance between choice-phase stimuli also had differing effects on TUNL performance.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anna L. Tyler, Catrina Spruce, Romy Kursawe, Annat Haber, Robyn L. Ball, Wendy A. Pitman, Alexander D. Fine, Narayanan Raghupathy, Michael Walker, Vivek M. Philip, Christopher L. Baker, J. Matthew Mahoney, Gary A. Churchill, Jennifer J. Trowbridge, Michael L. Stitzel, Kenneth Paigen, Petko M. Petkov, Gregory W. Carter
Summary: This study investigates the epigenetic diversity of the Diversity Outbred (DO) mice and their founders, finding highly variable epigenetic landscapes that are associated with gene expression variation. They demonstrate that both histone modifications and DNA methylation are heritable mechanisms of gene expression regulation and provide a valuable resource documenting strain-specific variation in chromatin state and DNA methylation in hepatocytes across nine widely used strains of laboratory mice.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Wenlong Zhang, Jie Huang, Feng Gao, Qianglong You, Liuyan Ding, Junwei Gong, Mengran Zhang, Runfang Ma, Shaohui Zheng, Xiangdong Sun, Yunlong Zhang
Summary: The study reveals that Cntnap4 deficiency leads to social behavior and fear memory deficits in mice. Reduced GABAergic transmission was observed in the amygdala of Cntnap4-/- mice. Microbiota supplementation through Lactobacillus treatment or faecal transplantation can improve fear memory abnormalities caused by Cntnap4 deficiency.
Article
Neurosciences
Xiaofan Yang, Hongqiang Yin, Xiaojing Wang, Yueqing Sun, Xianli Bian, Gaorui Zhang, Anning Li, Aihua Cao, Baomin Li, Darius Ebrahimi-Fakhari, Zhuo Yang, Miriam H. Meisler, Qiji Liu
Summary: The study demonstrates that loss of Scn8a expression in cerebellar Purkinje cells in mice leads to both autism spectrum disorder-related behavioral deficits and cerebellar degeneration.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Jessica A. Baker, Megan K. Mulligan, Kristin M. Hamre
Summary: Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are preventable neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by abnormal behavior and cognitive deficits. The severity of alcohol's effects on the developing brain is influenced by genetics and sex. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that strains with increased vulnerability to alcohol-induced cell death in the hippocampus exhibit deficits in hippocampal-related behavior during adolescence. The results showed that the effects of alcohol exposure on adolescent behavior were strain-dependent.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Liqin Yang, Zhixiong Xia, Jianhua Feng, Menghuan Zhang, Pu Miao, Yingjie Nie, Xiangyan Zhang, Zijian Hao, Ronggui Hu
Summary: RA signaling is down-regulated in FXS patients and supplementation can partially rescue social novelty behavior. However, it has limited effects on sociability behavior and hyperactivity.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Giovanni Nicolao Berta, Federica Di Scipio, Zhiqian Yang, Alessandra Oberto, Giuliana Abbadessa, Federica Romano, Maria Elisabetta Carere, Adriano Ceccarelli, Emilio Hirsch, Barbara Mognetti
Summary: The study revealed that the lack or inhibition of PI3K gamma can delay preneoplastic and exophytic lesions in oral carcinogenesis. WT mice showed higher expression of prognostic markers and certain cell types, while tongues isolated from transgenic mice had more abundant T lymphocytes. A specific PI3K gamma inhibitor significantly impaired the vitality of oral cancer cells.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Xiaoman Yang, Daji Guo, Keshen Li, Lei Shi
Summary: Characterizing ultrasonic vocalizations (USV) is a useful method for evaluating communication in mouse models of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study categorized USVs into 12 types and compared the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of USV repertoire emitted by Dock4 knockout (KO) mice and wild-type (WT) littermates, revealing developmental differences in USV patterns between the two groups. Specifically, the Dock4 KO pups exhibited larger volume and more multiple-note calls with higher pitch compared to WT pups in later developmental stages.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Pathology
Jerrold M. Ward, Peter Vogel, John P. Sundberg
Summary: This study describes the histopathological findings of brain and spinal cord in 20-month-old mice from 28 inbred Jackson Laboratory mouse strains. Common lesions include axonal dystrophy in the sensory tract of the dorsal medulla and mineralization in the thalamus. Most strains showed evidence of impairment of the ubiquitin-proteasome system and/or suspected autophagy.
VETERINARY PATHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Guan-Mei Hou, Yao-Hua Zhang, Jian-Xu Zhang
Summary: Social dominance and its related male pheromones in inbred mice are found to be heritable due to changes in DNA methylation. This study reveals that social dominance-subordination induces differential methylation of genes in male mice, which can be passed on to their offspring. These methylated genes are implicated in growth and development processes, neurodevelopment, and cellular transportation. Furthermore, social dominance-subordination affects the methylation and expression of genes with similar functions in the entire genome. The gene Dennd1a, involved in neural signaling, shows differential methylation and expression in both sperm and the medial prefrontal cortex of paired males before and after dominance-subordination establishment. This suggests the potential epigenetic control and inheritance of social dominance-related aggression. Overall, social dominance may affect male competition in offspring through sperm DNA methylation.
Article
Cell Biology
Archana Unnikrishnan, Stephanie Matyi, Karla Garrett, Michelle Ranjo-Bishop, David B. Allison, Keisuke Ejima, Xiwei Chen, Stephanie Dickinson, Arlan Richardson
Summary: The study found that the impact of dietary restriction on lifespan varies depending on the genotype of the mouse, with some leading to increased lifespan and others reducing lifespan. There was no correlation observed between changes in body composition or glucose tolerance and changes in lifespan.
Article
Ecology
Jobran Chebib, Benjamin C. Jackson, Eugenio Lopez-Cortegano, Diethard Tautz, Peter D. Keightley
Summary: The study found that individuals within inbred mouse strains are not isogenic, with differences in genetic variation explained by genetic distance from the nucleus. A novel approach based on observed genetic variation and expected frequency spectrum provided reasonable mutation rate estimates when mice came from the core colony, but inflated estimates from production colonies.
