Cycling D2 knock-out mice as a tool to investigate the role of adult neurogenesis

• Autorzy: Filipkowski R.K.
• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

The function of adult brain neurogenesis remains elusive, although it has been suggested to play a key role in learning and memory. In the previous studies, we employed cyclin D2 knock-out (cD2 KO) mice and demonstrated apparent complete deficiency in generating new neurons accompanied by minor morphological abnormalities of the brain, including smaller hippocampal formation (Kowalczyk et al. 2004). We have shown that these mice perform and learn in several behavioral tasks: context and trace fear conditioning, novel object recognition, Morris water maze, and spatial tests in IntelliCage (Jaholkowski et al. 2009). Recently, we determined that cD2 KO mice also perform surprisingly well in two-way avoidance and Barnes maze. Additionally, cD2 KO mice were subjected to hippocampus-dependent behavioral tests not requiring learning. Mutant mice showed significant impairment in several species-typical behaviors: nest construction, digging, and marble burying. Moreover, cD2 KO mice were more active in the open field and motility chamber, and showed increased explorative behavior in IntelliCage. Notably, similar deficits in species-typical behaviors and an increase in locomotor activity were previously shown in rodents with hippocampal lesions. Recently, we have also investigated alcohol consumption in cD2 KO mice and shown that they consumed significantly more of 8-16% ethanol and demonstrated a significantly higher preference for 4 – 16% ethanol (Jaholkowski et al. 2011). We conclude that either morphological abnormalities of the hippocampal formation or the impairment in the adult brain neurogenesis (or both) alter hippocampus-dependent behaviors and ethanol consumption in cD2 KO mice without influencing their learning abilities. These results show that new neurons are not necessary for learning and suggest their possible role in several species-typical behaviors as well as in ethanol self-administration.

• Wydawca: -
• Czasopismo: Acta Neurobiologiae Experimentalis
• Rocznik: 2011
• Tom: 71
• Numer: S
• Opis fizyczny: p.30

Twórcy

autor

Filipkowski R.K.

• Department of Biological Psychology, University of Finance and Management, Warsaw, Poland

Uwagi

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