TY - JOUR
T1 - Alterations in grooming activity and syntax in heterozygous SERT and BDNF knockout mice
T2 - The utility of behavior-recognition tools to characterize mutant mouse phenotypes
AU - Kyzar, Evan J.
AU - Pham, Mimi
AU - Roth, Andrew
AU - Cachat, Jonathan
AU - Green, Jeremy
AU - Gaikwad, Siddharth
AU - Kalueff, Allan V.
PY - 2012/12/1
Y1 - 2012/12/1
N2 - Serotonin transporter (SERT) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are key modulators of molecular signaling, cognition and behavior. Although SERT and BDNF mutant mouse phenotypes have been extensively characterized, little is known about their self-grooming behavior. Grooming represents an important behavioral domain sensitive to environmental stimuli and is increasingly used as a model for repetitive behavioral syndromes, such as autism and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The present study used heterozygous (+/-) SERT and BDNF male mutant mice on a C57BL/6J background and assessed their spontaneous self-grooming behavior applying both manual and automated techniques. Overall, SERT+/- mice displayed a general increase in grooming behavior, as indicated by more grooming bouts and more transitions between specific grooming stages. SERT+/- mice also aborted more grooming bouts, but showed generally unaltered activity levels in the observation chamber. In contrast, BDNF+/- mice displayed a global reduction in grooming activity, with fewer bouts and transitions between specific grooming stages, altered grooming syntax, as well as hypolocomotion and increased turning behavior. Finally, grooming data collected by manual and automated methods (HomeCageScan) significantly correlated in our experiments, confirming the utility of automated high-throughput quantification of grooming behaviors in various genetic mouse models with increased or decreased grooming phenotypes. Taken together, these findings indicate that mouse self-grooming behavior is a reliable behavioral biomarker of genetic deficits in SERT and BDNF pathways, and can be reliably measured using automated behavior-recognition technology.
AB - Serotonin transporter (SERT) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are key modulators of molecular signaling, cognition and behavior. Although SERT and BDNF mutant mouse phenotypes have been extensively characterized, little is known about their self-grooming behavior. Grooming represents an important behavioral domain sensitive to environmental stimuli and is increasingly used as a model for repetitive behavioral syndromes, such as autism and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The present study used heterozygous (+/-) SERT and BDNF male mutant mice on a C57BL/6J background and assessed their spontaneous self-grooming behavior applying both manual and automated techniques. Overall, SERT+/- mice displayed a general increase in grooming behavior, as indicated by more grooming bouts and more transitions between specific grooming stages. SERT+/- mice also aborted more grooming bouts, but showed generally unaltered activity levels in the observation chamber. In contrast, BDNF+/- mice displayed a global reduction in grooming activity, with fewer bouts and transitions between specific grooming stages, altered grooming syntax, as well as hypolocomotion and increased turning behavior. Finally, grooming data collected by manual and automated methods (HomeCageScan) significantly correlated in our experiments, confirming the utility of automated high-throughput quantification of grooming behaviors in various genetic mouse models with increased or decreased grooming phenotypes. Taken together, these findings indicate that mouse self-grooming behavior is a reliable behavioral biomarker of genetic deficits in SERT and BDNF pathways, and can be reliably measured using automated behavior-recognition technology.
KW - Behavior recognition
KW - Behavioral genetics
KW - Brain-derived neurotrophic factor
KW - Grooming
KW - Serotonin transporter
KW - Syntax
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84867866203&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2012.08.004
DO - 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2012.08.004
M3 - Article
C2 - 22951260
AN - SCOPUS:84867866203
SN - 0361-9230
VL - 89
SP - 168
EP - 176
JO - Brain Research Bulletin
JF - Brain Research Bulletin
IS - 5-6
ER -