EN
Tuberin (TSC2) is one of the proteins involved in autism spectrum disorders’ pathogenesis (ASD), which together with hamartin (TSC1), is responsible for cellular growth, protein synthesis, and cellular proliferation. The highest concentration of Tuberin has been observed in the cerebellum, particularly in the Purkinje cells. In view of the physiological role of the cerebellum, lack of this protein may impair both locomotor activity and motor coordination. Being one of the factors responsible for ASD, tuberin might also play a role in early behavioral pattern formation. In this work we try to prove these two hypotheses. The study involved three groups of mice: 12 heterozygous TSC (+/-) and 8 mutant TSC (-/-) mice were compared with a control group of 7 wild-type C57BL/6 mice. All the mice were introduced into the study at the age of 6 weeks. Each mice underwent the following standardized tests: the RotaRod test, the Elevated Runway test, the Open Field test. All the tests were performed three times- at the age of 6, 12 and 28 weeks. Both the RotaRod and the Elevated runway tests revealed significantly impaired motor coordination skills in the mutant mice compared with both the control and the heterozygous group. Furthermore, the TSC (-/-) mice exhibited a noticeably lower level of explorative activity and higher levels of fear.