TY - JOUR
T1 - Measures of anxiety, sensorimotor function, and memory in male and female mGluR4 -/- mice
AU - Davis, Matthew J.
AU - Haley, Tammie
AU - Duvoisin, Robert M.
AU - Raber, Jacob
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by NIMH R01 MH77647 . We thank Dr. Byung Park for his advice regarding the statistical analyses and Iwona Strycharska-Orczyk for her help with the genotyping.
PY - 2012/4/1
Y1 - 2012/4/1
N2 - Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) are coupled to second messenger pathways via G proteins and modulate synaptic transmission. Of the eight different types of mGluRs (mGluR1-mGluR8), mGluR4, mGluR6, mGluR7, and mGluR8 are members of group III. Group III receptors are generally located presynaptically, where they regulate neurotransmitter release. Because of their role in modulating neurotransmission, mGluRs are attractive targets for therapies aimed at treating anxiety disorders. Previously we showed that the mGluR4-selective allosteric agonist VU 0155041 reduces anxiety-like behavior in wild-type male mice. Here, we explore the role of mGluR4 in adult (6-month old) and middle-aged (12-month old) male and female mice lacking this receptor. Compared to age- and sex-matched wild-type mice, middle-aged mGluR4 -/- male mice showed increased measures of anxiety in the open field and elevated zero maze and impaired sensorimotor function on the rotarod. These changes were not seen in adult 6-month-old male mice. In contrast to the male mice, mGluR4 -/- female mice showed reduced measures of anxiety in the open field and elevated zero maze and enhanced rotarod performance. During the hidden platform training sessions of the water maze, mGluR4 -/- mice swam farther away from the platform than wild-type mice at 6, but not at 12, months of age. mGluR4 -/- mice also showed enhanced amygdala-dependent cued fear conditioning. No genotype differences were seen in hippocampus-dependent contextual fear conditioning. These data indicate that effects of mGluR4 on sensorimotor function and measures of anxiety, but not cued fear conditioning, are critically modulated by sex and age.
AB - Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) are coupled to second messenger pathways via G proteins and modulate synaptic transmission. Of the eight different types of mGluRs (mGluR1-mGluR8), mGluR4, mGluR6, mGluR7, and mGluR8 are members of group III. Group III receptors are generally located presynaptically, where they regulate neurotransmitter release. Because of their role in modulating neurotransmission, mGluRs are attractive targets for therapies aimed at treating anxiety disorders. Previously we showed that the mGluR4-selective allosteric agonist VU 0155041 reduces anxiety-like behavior in wild-type male mice. Here, we explore the role of mGluR4 in adult (6-month old) and middle-aged (12-month old) male and female mice lacking this receptor. Compared to age- and sex-matched wild-type mice, middle-aged mGluR4 -/- male mice showed increased measures of anxiety in the open field and elevated zero maze and impaired sensorimotor function on the rotarod. These changes were not seen in adult 6-month-old male mice. In contrast to the male mice, mGluR4 -/- female mice showed reduced measures of anxiety in the open field and elevated zero maze and enhanced rotarod performance. During the hidden platform training sessions of the water maze, mGluR4 -/- mice swam farther away from the platform than wild-type mice at 6, but not at 12, months of age. mGluR4 -/- mice also showed enhanced amygdala-dependent cued fear conditioning. No genotype differences were seen in hippocampus-dependent contextual fear conditioning. These data indicate that effects of mGluR4 on sensorimotor function and measures of anxiety, but not cued fear conditioning, are critically modulated by sex and age.
KW - Anxiety
KW - Group-III mGluR
KW - Learning
KW - MGluR4
KW - Memory
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U2 - 10.1016/j.bbr.2011.12.037
DO - 10.1016/j.bbr.2011.12.037
M3 - Article
C2 - 22227508
AN - SCOPUS:84855890692
SN - 0166-4328
VL - 229
SP - 21
EP - 28
JO - Behavioural Brain Research
JF - Behavioural Brain Research
IS - 1
ER -