title: Sexually dimorphic changes in the exploratory and habituation profiles of heterozygous neuregulin-1 knockout mice.
abstract: The neuregulin-1 gene is widely expressed in the central nervous system and is associated with increased risk for schizophrenia. Using an ethologically based approach, the phenotype of neuregulin-1 heterozygous knockout mice was examined by revealing the individual elements of behaviour in the murine repertoire over the prolonged course of interaction with the environment. During initial exploration, neuregulin-1 mutants displayed a phenotype characterized by increases in locomotion and rearing free, with sex-specific alterations in sifting and grooming. Over subsequent habituation, certain initial effects endured while new phenotypic effects emerged, some of which were again sex-specific. These studies elaborate a pleiotropic role of neuregulin-1 in development, plasticity and function, including sexual dimorphism, by defining the elemental, temporal and sex-specific characteristics of the neuregulin-1 mutant ethogram.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland. cotuathaigh@rcsi.ie
authors.forename: Colm M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: O'Tuathaigh
authors.forename: Gerard J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: O'Sullivan
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kinsella
authors.forename: Richard P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.forename: Orna
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Tighe
authors.forename: David T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Croke
authors.forename: John L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Waddington
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008124:Locomotion / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout / Q000502:physiology*; D020890:Neuregulin-1 / Q000172:deficiency*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D020890:Neuregulin-1