Female specific hyperactivity in S100 beta transgenic mice does not habituate in open-field.
S100 beta, a calcium-binding brain specific protein, may affect brain development and long-term potentiation. Its gene maps to a region of chromosome 21 duplicated in Down's Syndrome (DS), and its levels are elevated in DS. To test the hypothesis that elevated S100 beta levels cause brain dysfunction in a mammalian system, transgenic mice carrying multiple copies of the human S100 beta gene have been generated and their locomotory patterns are analyzed in open field situations. Female-specific hyperactivity was observed in 2-month-old and in 12-month-old transgenic mice, which rules out the previous speculation that postmenopausal hormonal changes constitute a necessary factor in this behavioral abnormality. Analysis of temporal patterns of activity showed a profound abnormality in transgenic females: the initially elevated activity quickly habituated in males and in normal females, however, its level remained high in the transgenic females throughout the 9-min recording session. These observations are compatible with the suggestion that hippocampal function is abnormal in the females of S100 beta transgenic mice.
Gerlai
R
R
Division of Molecular Immunology and Neurobiology, Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ont., Canada.
Roder
J
J
D000818:Animals; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000235:genetics; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013997:Time Factors
D009418:S100 Proteins